Heart of a Gryffindor
by librarylife28
Summary: James Potter is a rich pureblooded wizard, who loves to joke around and have fun. Lily Evans is a determined (and somewhat feisty) Muggle born witch who is just trying to find her way at Hogwarts. What happens when their paths cross? Join them as they discover the meaning of friendship and what it means to be a true Gryffindor. Takes place during their years at Hogwarts
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! So this is my very first fanfic, and as much as I am super excited about it, I would love to hear opinions and how I can approve! I just love the older characters like James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and even Severus so much, that I wanted to write about them! I haven't decided if Heart of Gryffindor is going to be split up into different books or just one very large book, but right now I'm focusing on James and Lilly's first year at Hogwarts. I really hope you enjoy it and please please please review! Thank you so much!**

Chapter One: The Hogwarts Train

"You are brave."

James Potter repeated the mantra to himself over and over again. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, letting the words seep in. He reached up and tried to flatten out the mess of dark hair. No matter how hard he tried, it never wanted to lay right, and like countless times before, he eventually gave up.

"You are brave." Nothing in the world mattered than getting sorted into Gryffindor. It was hands down the best house at Hogwarts. His dad and all the Potters before him had been brave enough to be sorted into Gryffindor, and now it was his turn. He had received his letter a month ago, and they had gone to Diagon Alley for all the supplies, and the day had finally arrived for him to aboard Hogwarts Express.

"James! My son, where in Merlin are you?" He heard his father in the hallway a mere second before he came crashing through the bathroom door. "There you are! I say, what is taking you so long?"

James looked back at the mirror, not saying anything. Finally, he let out a deep breath. "What if I don't get sorted into Gryffindor?"

He laughed. "Nonsense! Why would you think such things?" He continued laughing until he realized his eleven-year-old son was actually serious. "Of course, you'll get into Gryffindor!"

"But what if I don't?"

"Then you'll make an excellent addition to any house," his mother said from the doorway. She smiled. "But you have nothing to worry about, dear."

"Your mother's right, James. It's not like you're going to get sorted into Slytherin. You're too brave for those lowlifes. And you're a Potter!" He received a look from his wife, but he ignored it. "Now, come on! We have a train to catch!"

"And don't forget to write us at least once a month to let us know how everything's going." His mother said once they were past the barrier and onto Platform 9 ¾. She was hugging him so tight he could smell her peppermint and tye soap. "And if you need us to go to Gringotts."

"Alright Mum." He gently tugged himself away from her. "I have to go." His dad gave him a quick clap on the back before he left them behind before etching closer to the train. He took in a deep breath and entered.

How am I going to find a seat in this place? He thought, walking past several compartments filled with either giggling third years or snogging seventh years. He started to get agitated, and debated on jinxing the whole train, but considering how he was a first year student that had not even arrived at Hogwarts and didn't know even how to begin a proper spell _and_ his wand was packed away somewhere in his suitcase, James dismissed the thought with slight hesitation before opening one of the last compartments.

It was empty. Well, all except a slender first year with black hair who was looking out the window. The boy looked up as soon as he entered. The intensity in his blue eyes caused James to gulp. "Is… is anyone sitting here?"

"No."

James sat down across from him. He looked out the window and back at the boy, who was still staring at him. "What?"

A large grin grew on his face. "You have lipstick on your chin."

"No I don't."

He shrugged and reached into his bag. He pulled out a small handheld mirror and offered it to James. "See for yourself, mate."

James held the mirror up to his face. "Bullocks, Mum!" He groaned loudly, vigorously wiping the red lip stick until it dissolved into a light shade of pink and then nothing.

The boy laughed. "Your mum gave you a little kissy-wissy before her big boy went off to the big school?"

"Oh shut it!" he yelled half-heartedly, trying not to laugh too hard. "Are you a first year too?"

He nodded. "I'm Sirius, Sirius Black."

The name seemed somewhat familiar, but in those days, they always did, so James ignored it. "And I'm James Potter." 

"What if they don't like me?" Lily Evans asked. Her eyes kept fluttering to the commotion around them, trying to take it all in. She stared up at Hogwarts Express in all its glory. She couldn't believe she was going to Hogwarts School of _Witchcraft and Wizardry._ She was excited, but another part of her couldn't shake off her sister's comments when she was denied her letter.

"Don't listen to Petunia," her dad said beside her. He glanced at his oldest daughter, who was too busy roaming about trying to find ways to sneak onto the train. "She's just upset she's not getting to go." His eyes gestured towards the steps to the train in front of them. She just stared, not moving. He sighed softy. "Lily, they're going to love you. You can make friends with anyone. Now go, you don't want to be late."

As if she needed any other reminders, the train's whistle blew. Lily said goodbye to her family and climbed onto Hogwarts Express. Chaos erupted as soon as she got on. Everyone was moving around quickly, ducking into compartments. Old friends were reuniting and new friends chatted away. Jinxed airplanes flew past them, and Lily ducked. She looked around for her friend. Not finding him anywhere, she ushered forward, checking compartment after compartment until finally she found one in the very back. It only had two boys in it, probably first years like them, and they paid no attention as she sat down.

Lily faced the window, staring at the platform rushing past as they took off and gained speed. She looked up when her friend entered, dressed in the long black robes they were required to buy on the supplies list. His knobby knees lightly grazed hers before she turned back to the window. _You think I want to be a freak? FREAK!_ Her sister's words continued to burn her mind. They had been close when they were younger, but ever since Lily found out she was a witch, and especially about Hogwarts, Petunia was hard to get along with. A tear ran down her cheek.

"Lily?" her best friend said slowly. The way he dragged out his sentences made everyone believe he was older, wiser almost. He had been her best friend since they were seven, and though he was moody at times, he never let her down.

She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it, Severus. "

"And why not?"

Another tear. "Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

"So what?"

She glared at him. "So, she's my sister!"

"But she's only a-" He paused. "But we're going! Going to Hogwarts!" Lilly nodded and gave him a slight smile. His grin grew because of it. "And wouldn't it be great if we were sorted into the same house? You better be in Slytherin."

"Slytherin?" one of the boys spoke. He had dark hair like Severus's, but it stuck up in all different directions. He shot the boy sitting next to him a look. "I think I'd rather leave than get Slytherin, wouldn't you?"

"My whole family has been Slytherin," the other boy said.

"Blimey! And I thought you were alright!"

The boy grinned. "Maybe I'll break the break tradition. Where are you heading if you've got the chance?"

The boy with unruly hair unsheathed an invisible sword. "Gryffindor, 'where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my Dad." Severus snorted, and the boy turned. "You got a problem with that?"

"No," said Severus slowly, "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy…"

"Where are you going to go, considering how you're neither?" said the other boy, and they both roared with laughter.

Lilly couldn't believe they were being so mean. She had dealt with her fair share of bullies, but she never thought she would meet such mean and arrogant people in her life. "Come on, Severus, let's go find another compartment."

They both got up to leave. And if it wasn't enough, just as the door closed, one of the boys yelled out, "See ya' later, Snivellus!"

Severus gave her a hallow look. "Don't listen to them," she said, "Besides, when we're sorted into the same house, we probably will never have to really see them again."

 **Thank you so so much for reading and I hope you enjoy it! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: The Sorting

Lily's eyes stayed glued to the window for most of the trip. Occasionally, Severus would lean over and whisper something funny in her ear to try to move her thoughts away from the uneasiness in her stomach.

Suddenly, an enormous castle came into view and Lily quickly forgot about her sister's comments and the bullies a few compartments over. It was old and reminded her mostly of the gothic castles she had read about at Muggle school. How exciting to see one up close. "I think we're here!" she turned to her comrade, who had fallen asleep against the railing. She shook him. "Severus! I think we're here!"

They both stood, gaping up at the castle from the train window. "Wow," said Severus. "It's-"

"Beautiful," Lily finished.

He smiled shyly, and bumped his shoulder to hers. "See? I told you that Hogwarts was pretty cool."

The train gradually came to a stop. They followed everyone off the train. Lily looked around, wondering what to do next. Nobody had told them what to do once they got to Hogwarts.

"First yers!" She heard a bellowing voice call. "First yers, this 'ay!" Lily jumped at the sight of him. He had to be the tallest person she had ever seen. He towered over everyone else by at least five feet. He also had a round middle and a scraggly beard. Though his eyes were beady, they did look kind. He smiled down at them. "Yer first yers, I 'eckon?" They both nodded, unable to say anything. "Good! Follow me, 'en!"

Severus gave her a look before they followed him to where the other first years were. They rode in boats from there, which was pretty exciting, much different than the boat her father had taken her fishing in when she was younger. Severus seemed to enjoy it a lot more than herself, considering how he had never been in a boat before. Well, that was until a short dark haired girl behind them leaned over the side of the boat from motion sickness. A few people pointed and laughed at her, and Lily was just about to say something to them, but they had already arrived at their destination.

"Wow." She stepped off the boat. The castle was even more beautiful up close.

"I know," said the giant man. "It 'ust gets 'etter and 'etter!" He swung open a wide door. Lily's excitement grew as they walked through hallway after hallway. For the first time in her life she felt like she wasn't a freak.

The tall man led them to a small corridor offset. A tall lady with curly black hair a stern looking face turned around. She looked at the giant man. "Thank you, Hagrid. I shall take it from here."

"You're welcome, Professor McGonagall." The giant man, Hagrid, smiled again at the first year students before taking his leave.

Professor McGonagall demanded everyone's attention. From their first meeting, Lily knew that she was a witch nobody in their right minds would ever cross. "Welcome to Hogwarts. The sorting ceremony will begin in a few moments in which you each will be sorted into one of the four houses here at Hogwarts. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff are houses named after the founders of Hogwarts and each has its own unique history and such. While you are at Hogwarts, you can earn your House points, but do not be naïve—your misbehavior can also lose points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points wins the incredible honor of the House Cup.

"The Houses here are very important. They are like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with each other, sleep in the same dormitory, and share a common room. You will be sorted by the Sorting Hat, a noble tradition here at Hogwarts, in which it selects the best fit house for each of you. As you will learn I'm sure in your history classes, Hufflepuffs are known for their loyalty, Ravenclaws are known for their intelligence, Slytherin for their cunningness, and Gryffindor for their bravery."

"What if we don't get in the same house?" Lily saw the line get shorter as they moved closer to the Great Hall. Every few moments, the Sorting Hat would yell, "SLYTHERIN!", "HUFFLEPUFF!" followed by a loud chorus of cheering. "RAVENCLAW!" She shifted nervously.

Severus shook his head. "Lily, we're going to get in the same house. Why wouldn't we?" He gave her a slight nudge forward. "We'll both be Slytherin, you'll see."

Lily sighed.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"And if we don't?" Lily questioned. She was really close to the front now.

"We will. It'll be great."

"Evans, Lily." Professor McGonagall read.

Lily slowly made her way to the front of the Great Hall where she stood holding the Sorting Hat next to a single stool. She sat down and tried not to squirm as Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head. Hundreds of students stared back at her, waiting for her fate to be revealed. She could feel her cheeks warm. She glanced at each table, wondering which house they belonged to. One table was decorated in yellow and black, and a large banner hung above it with an emblem that looked like a… badger? She smiled, thinking of the badgers her and Petunia used to chase around in the woods behind their house. She looked at the next table. An eagle soared across its blue banner. They smiled eagerly at her.

The next table was silver and green, and Lily knew it to be Slytherin. Severus had told her about it on the train. She didn't understand why he wanted to be in Slytherin anyway. _Cunningness_? She was sure it would be a great house, but compared to the others, what was so special that Severus insisted they both be in it? She glanced at the snake on their emblem and shuddered. She had always been afraid of snakes.

Then, she saw the last table—scarlet and gold. A lion stretched across the banner above it. It must be Gryffindor house. The boys on the train had been talking about it before they noticed herself and Severus. _Snivellus._ Angered boiled within her at the thought. How dare they say such mean things to her friend. If she had thought anything of it, she might have told that boy with the gastly unruly hair a thing or two about manners if only she had cour—

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily nearly jumped at the sound of the Hat's voice. Gryffindor? She smiled widely, jumping off the stool and making her way to the table of gold. Her eyes flickered back to the line, where Severus was looking slightly pale. He had wanted them both to be in Slytherin so bad, but another part of Lily was thrilled she wasn't. The sorting Hat had seen something in her that she didn't see in herself. She had courage.

She sat down next to a fair haired girl, who had scooted over to let her in, as the sorting continued. "Lupin, Remus," read McGonagall, followed by the Hat's, "GRYFFINDOR!" Her new housemate took a seat next to one of the boys she had met on the train.

The girl turned and smiled at Lily. "Hi, I'm Millie Crater. And you are?"

"Lily Evans."

"It's weird, don't you think?" said the girl, twirling her long blonde hair. "The sorting, I mean. Mom never told me how they did it. She told me a lot about Hogwarts though, but nothing compared to what it is really like. Did your parents tell you anything about Hogwarts?"

Lily shook her head. "No, my parents aren't magical. They're…"

"Muggle?" Millie asked, and Lily reddened. "Oh, don't worry about it. There's a ton of Muggle borns here. My dad came from a Muggle family, and he said that Dumbledore has no problem with them."

Lily smiled a little. Millie turned to watch some more of the sorting ceremony. "Meadows, Alice," McGonagall continued, placing the hat, on a slightly chubby brunette. Lily recognized her as the girl who had gotten sick on the boat. The hat switched slightly, and Lily saw that it was laughing. "GRYFFINDOR!"

The girl hopped up and walked over to their table. Millie and Lily scooted over a little to let her in. "I'm Millie Crater, and this is Lily Evans," Millie bombarded the girl, who for the most part looked a little bit overwhelmed at the whole situation. The girl smiled a small smile, and Lily noticed the array of freckles sprinkled across her nose and under her brown eyes. "I'm Alice Meadows."

"Parker, Braden."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Pettigrew, Peter." "GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily clapped as the mousy looking boy took his seat at the table. Some more names were rattled off, and each person went to their respected houses. "Potter, James."

Millie beside her squealed, grasping her arm. "Do you know who that is?" Lily groaned inwardly at the sight of the boy from the train walking to take his place on the stool beneath the Hat. "Right of course not, you're muggle born. That's James Potter! The son of Henry Potter, one of the biggest Aurors in the Ministry. Well, used to be anyway before he retired."

"My dad says Mr. Potter is an old geezer," Alice commented. Lily coughed back a laugh as Millie stared, flabbergasted. She knew that Alice and her were going to be great friends.

 _Think Courage_.

James repeated to himself, while the sorting hat was placed on his head. He wanted to be in the house of the brave so bad he couldn't stand it. He knew that the Gryffindor was the place for him to be, so why was it taken so blasted long for the sorting hat? His dad had told him all about the hat, and the trick was to think as much about one value of the house you want as you can so that the Hat chooses that one.

"Is that so? Sounds very Slytherin to me," a voice whispered. "Or maybe even Ravenclaw." He looked up and saw that the Hat was glaring down at him. He tried to ignore it. _Bravery. Courage._ "But then again, it was a very brave thing for you to try to sneak past me. GRYFFINDOR!"

James hopped up as the audience cheered. He took a seat at the table next to Sirius. He turned from the guys he was chatting with and grinned. "It's about time you show up. What kind of last name is Potter anyway?"

"Much better than Black if you ask me, especially in a house full of Slytherins." James joked. "But it looks like you did it—broke tradition."

"Wait till my mom finds out. I'm sure to get a howler." Sirius's tone was joking, but James caught on to something else, something dark, but he chose to ignore it. Sirius gestured towards the people sitting next to him. "This is Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. They're first years like us."

"Hello." Remus was about the same height as himself and had a pointed nose and light brown hair that needed to be cut soon. James noticed that he was wearing second hand robes, but cared not. Peter was shorter and slightly rounder, unlike the three other boys. James laughed at the way he stared at the food. "It's nice to meet you."

"Is it really true you are the first in your family to be Gryffindor? That all your family are Slytherin?" asked Peter.

Sirius grinned. "Like I said, I broke tradition."

"Reddens, Marge." "RAVENCLAW!"

James looked back to the sorting. Just behind the Hat, he could see Professor Dumbledore. He had only met him once, while he was out with his dad, but he seemed to be a nice old man. Now, though, to see him here in all glory was different. He seemed at peace almost, like he was the happiest man in the world. His eyes flickered in his direction, and James could have sworn he saw him smile beneath his beard.

"Snape, Severus."

Sirius elbowed him in the side. "Well, well, look who it is."

Sure enough, it was the weird dark haired boy from the train, the one who insisted on getting housed in Slytherin. He walked to the stool and sat, wrapping his slender legs to the front of him. The Hat was only on his head for a few seconds before, "SLYTHERIN!"

James chuckled as the slytherins cheered. "Looks like Snivallus got what he wanted." He watched as Snape made his way to the table of green. A sixth year student with electric white hair clapped him on the back when he sat down beside him.

"Therman, Nick." "HUFFLEPUFF!"

A few minutes later, McGonagall read the last name, "White, Maria." "RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaw table cheered, followed by a chorus of all students. Headmaster Dumbledore stood and pointed his long wand to the base of his throat. His voice rang out, "Welcome, new students, to Hogwarts, and welcome back returning students to a new year at Hogwarts."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Nearly Headless Nick

James had been around magic his entire life, but the magic at Hogwarts amazed him—the way a feast of food just appeared from nowhere with a flick of Dumbledore's wand to right in front of him. He filled his plate eagerly.

Remus grabbed a few pieces of steak to go with the mountain of potatoes and bread on his plate. "I wonder if they eat like this all the time at Hogwarts."

"Of course!" came a voice. They all turned to see a transparent figure floating beside them. The ghost was wearing tattered, and for the most part, ancient, clothes that were soiled with blood, especially around the neck. He had a huge smile on his face. "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost!" He burst into laughter. James looked at Sirius, who was hiding a grin behind his napkin.

"Who… who are you?" James questioned.

"Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, of course—resident ghost of Gryffindor House."

"Oh!" piped up Peter. He had a bit of gravy dripping down his chin. "I know who you are! Dad told me all about you. You're Nearly-Headless Nick."

"Nearly-headless?" Remus cracked a smile. "Surely you don't mean that. Nobody can be nearly headless."

With a sigh, Nearly Headless Nick pulled on his left ear, swinging his head to one side so that it was _nearly_ decapitated. After the gasps by James, his new friends, and a few first years around them, he set his head right. "And if you do not mind, I like to be called Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington."

"I think Nearly Headless Nick has a bit better ring to it," said Sirius.

Remus started to object, but someone interrupted. "But if he doesn't want to be called that, why insist upon it?" They looked up to see the red head girl from the train. James hadn't even noticed she had been sorted into Gryffindor. She's brave alright, James thought. Nobody in their right mind would spend time with that freak _Snivallus_.

"You're just mad your friend _Snivallus_ was too big of a freak to join us in Gryffindor," Sirius said before James had the chance to.

She rolled her emerald eyes. "Oh honestly."

Headless Nick floated over to her. "And who are you, _mademoiselle_?"

The girl smiled. "I'm Lily Evans. It's nice to meet you Sir Nick."

It was James's turn to roll his eyes. Who did this Evans girl think she is ruining their fun? Nobody in his life had ever spoken out against him before. It infuriated him and part of him resented her. But there was another part of him, a part of him that he didn't quite understand.

* * *

Lucky for Lily, Alice and Millie were two of her roommates, along with two other first years, Nora Montgomery and Taylor Radcliffe. She like her room and the Gryffindor common room and her roommates alright, but she was still saddened by the thought of Severus not being sorted into the same house. She was ecstatic to start class. Not that she knew the first thing about being a witch—only what Severus told her.

Lily got up early the next day to eat breakfast. She saw Severus sitting at the Slytherin table next to the blonde haired fifth year again. His eyes met hers briefly before turning away.

"It's so exciting, isn't it?" Millie said, sitting down next to her, followed by Alice. She popped a grape in her mouth and began buttering toast. "We have Charms first and then Transfiguration."

"Huh?"

"Charms…your schedule. My goodness, Lily! Have you even looked at your schedule yet?" She took a bite of her toast and swallowed quickly. "It looks like a pretty good schedule, except tomorrow we have Potions and Flying with Slytherin House."

"What's wrong with that?" Lily asked.

"Are you serious?" Lily thought she was joking, but clearly she wasn't. "Slytherin is full of a bunch of weirdos and…bad people."

She could feel her face reddening. Surely, the Slytherin House wasn't so bad. "Not everyone."

"Of course they are." Millie was starting to sound a lot like the boys on the train. Alice remained silent, but she gave a sympathetic smile.

She grabbed her things. "Let's just drop it. We don't want to be late on our first day."

It wasn't hard to find charms, considering how every first year Gryffindor student was hoarding in to a corner classroom. There were rows and rows of tables with bottles of ink and parchment. It reminded Lily of her mother's old pictures of classrooms at her Alma Mater. She took a seat next to a plumpy brown haired boy. His robes were a tad too big for him, and he looked around the room nervously. Alice and Millie sat next to her.

"Hello," said Lily. The boy looked up and smiled weakly. "I don't think we've met. I'm Lily Evans. And these are my friends, Alice Meadows and Millie Crater." She offered her hand.

He shook it. A little sweaty, but warm. "Frank Longbottom." He shook hands with Alice and Millie.

"It's nice to meet you," said Alice. She quickly looked away.

Professor Flitwick was a short wizard, having to stand on a pile of books in order to look over the class. He seemed nice and eager to teach them everything about charms, but Lily learned quickly that it was more than just waving around a wand.

After taking roll and instructing the proper way to hold a wand and move it about, he instructed that each of them try a simple lighting spell. "Lumos," she whispered. Her wand remained stiff in her hand. Several of the people around her had made theirs glow, including Alice and Millie.

"Lumos," said Frank, and his wand lit up.

She huffed. Surely, it wasn't that hard. She had been able to do magic at home when she concentrated hard enough, and she was always good at school. If she was supposed to be a witch, how come she couldn't do a simple charm? "Lumos." Suddenly, light vibrated off her wand in all directions. She smiled. Maybe she was a witch after all.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy it! Interesting things to come in the next chapter (Bellatrix Lestrange, need I say more?) Please review! Again, I thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while since I've published, but I promise to be better about uploading more frequently!**

 **Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, and I'm just playing with her world and characters. But I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Four: Bellatrix

There was a lot more to being a wizard than James ever thought. He never knew that it would require this much work. He liked his classes alright. A lot of them, like Herbology and History of Magic, was downright snooze fests, and he didn't really see the point in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Charms and Transfiguration were okay. But did they really need this much homework? It had only been two weeks, and he already felt as if he was buried up to his neck in homework. He would much rather go around playing pranks on people with his friends.

 _His friends_. Even though it had been only weeks since they first met, they were already best pals, connected in a way that would probably last a lifetime.

He looked over at Sirius, who was sitting across from him scratching away at a piece of parchment. "You still aren't finished with your Potions assignment?"

"No, Remus still won't let me look at his." Sirius huffed angrily.

"It's not my fault you decided to procrastinate until the last minute." Remus licked his thumb and turned the page of the book he was reading.

James looked up just as a certain red head walked in. She glanced at the Slytherin table slightly before walking past him and sitting next to Frank Longbottom. Lily Evans was smart. She always was the one to answer when a professor asked a question to the class, but James never understood her fascination with Severus Snape. Why anyone would want to be friends with a Slytherin, especially _Snivellus_ , was beyond him. "Uh Oh. Looks like Snivellus is mad at his girlfriend."

"Oh shut up, Potter," said Sirius, "You're just mad Snape could get his broom up quicker than you in Flying."

"He did not." James grabbed an apple and threw it at his head. Sirius ducked and it hit a third year Ravenclaw, who got up and marched off quickly and very angry. "And even if he did—which he _didn't_ —but even if he did, we all know he can barely hold on to the broom. Professor Knotts had to spend the entire hour saving him from ramming into everyone else."

Sirius laughed loudly. "You're right. That was pretty funny."

He got up and Sirius began to gather his things. They both looked at Remus. "You coming, mate?"

"No, I have an appointment with Professor Dumbledore," he answered, his eyes never leaving his book.

"Everything okay?" asked James.

He looked up. "Of course. Why wouldn't it be? You two go ahead and I'll catch up with you later."

James and Sirius followed the many other students out of the dining hall and started walking towards the dungeon for their Potions class. They just made it off the stairs when the heard a loud screech. They turned just in time to see a seventh year Slytherin charging toward them. She was tall with thick dark hair and a pointy nose. And she was screaming Sirius's name.

"Do you know who that is?" James questioned.

Sirius scooted his bag higher onto his shoulder as she got closer. "It's my cousin."

"Sirius," she snarled.

He smiled. "Bellatrix. How are you? How's the family?"

"Oh, you want to talk about family?" She looked at James and then quickly back at Sirius. "You little blood traitor."

"I've told you—and mother—a thousand times that I couldn't help getting sorted into Gryffindor. The hat chose Gryffindor."

"You and your family is mad at him for not being chosen Slytherin?" James said. "That's stupid. Everyone knows Gryffindor is the best house at Hogwarts."

She looked at James with disgust. "Potter… is it? I would learn to control that tongue of yours. It would be awful if something bad were to happen." Her eyes fell back on Sirius. "I suggest you choose your friends more wisely. Just because you were housed Gryffindor, doesn't mean you have to act like them. See you later, Cousin."

* * *

"Severus," Lily called. She followed him into Potions, but he sat down next to a few of his Slytherin buddies. She tried to get his attention, but he seemed to ignore her. Instead, she sat down next to some first year Gryffindor students. It had been two weeks and still, Severus still didn't seem to want to talk to her.

"Lily, is everything okay?" Frank asked beside her.

She didn't look at him. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Professor Slughorn walked to the front of the class, and they turned their attention to him as he started class. Potions was her favorite class, though it was hard to choose a single one out of her schedule—except for maybe flying, she hated flying—but today, her heart wasn't in it. She listened to Slughorn drag on about the importance of reading and following directions carefully and the dangers and case studies of those who do not. She tried to take effective notes, but Potter and the rest of his ridiculous band of buddies kept snickering at the table behind her. They practiced their charms tricks, making paper airplanes and landing them on students' heads. She rolled her eyes.

"They are so immature," Alice whispered, crumpling up a small airplane.

She was about to say something, but Slughorn dismissed the class. Lily slammed her book closed, and charged out of the class with her friends yelling after her. "Severus!" she hollered, chasing him down the dungeon hallway. A few of his Slytherin friends looked and turned back to him laughing. "Severus! SEVERUS SNAPE, ANSWER ME!"

He stopped and turned slowly on his pointy heels. "What is it?"

"What is it?" Lily fumed. "What is it? You've been ignoring me for two weeks! Are you mad at me or something?" He didn't say anything. "That's it—isn't it? You're mad at me for not getting into Slytherin?" She rolled her eyes. "Friends don't do that to each other, Sev."

His pale eyes grew cold. "Maybe we shouldn't be friends then."

Lily's heart felt like it dropped into her stomach. How could he say such a thing? She could feel the tears forming in her green eyes, but she refused to let him see her cry. Not in front of everyone. She was a Gryffindor. "Maybe we shouldn't," she whispered.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading, let me know what you think! Like I said, I promise to upload more frequently. Exciting things to come!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! So sorry this chapter is a lot shorter than my others, but this has to be one of my favorite chapters so far! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!**

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Chapter Five: Remus Lupin

The rest of the week felt like it dragged by slowly as Lily dove deeper and deeper into her studies. She separated herself from the other students. She ate quickly and was quiet when she was around her Gryffindor friends and spent most of her time doing homework in the library, trying her hardest to forget the empty hole Severus seemed to leave. How could he say something like that? They had been friends for several years, and now, just because she was a Gryffindor and he was a Slytherin, their friendship had to cease to exist? For years, she thought of going to Hogwarts. What was Hogwarts without her best friend by her side? When her friends questioned her about what was wrong, she denied it, hoping they would just quit asking about it. They did not. They tried to cheer her up, even though they quite didn't understand why she was sad, but none of it seemed to work. They tried to get her to go with them to the lake, but she declined because she wanted to work on homework.

"The library again?" Millie begged. "You've been in there all this week! You need a break. It's Friday for Merlin's sake! Surely staying cooped up in this castle won't help you get your mind off of-"

"Come on, Millie. Let's go," Alice cut her off, and Lily gave her a thank you look. "Frank is waiting."

Now, Lily sat alone in a far corner of the library writing away on her parchment about goblins. She could have waited at least another three days to do the History of Magic essay, but she couldn't bear the idea of being around people.

"Arthur Weasley, you scared me half to death!" Lily looked up to see a seventh year girl scolding someone.

A tall redheaded boy sshhed her, "Honestly Molly, this is a library for Merlin's sake!" before gathering her in his arms for a passionate snog.

Lily rolled her eyes and returned to her paper as they ran to a more secluded area of the library. "Remus! There you are!" She tried really hard to focus on her paper. _The Goblin War of 1860_. "We've been looking everywhere for you!" James Potter and Sirius Black, followed by Peter Pettigrew, plopped down at another Gryffindor's table in front of her. The boy seemed to be working on his own essay and didn't look up at the others. She recognized him from the Sorting and classes.

"Come on, Remus. The library again?" said Sirius.

"I have homework to work on," the boy answered. _The Goblin War of 1860 marked the beginning._

"But it's the weekend, and that essay isn't due until next weekend," James added. Lily tried to concentrate on her work. _The Goblin War of 1860 marked the beginning of wizard and goblin relationship_ s.

"I really need to work on this, guys," the boy tried.

"It's Friday night! You can always work on it tomorrow," Sirius grinned. "We're going to try to jinx Morgan Creevy's cat." _Grandor Neudsatch led the charge—_

Lily broke. "Oh for Merlin's sake! Can't you see he doesn't want to go?" Four sets of eyes stared at her and she could feel the librarian looking. She lowered her voice. "As thrilling as jinxing Morgan's poor cat sounds, and I'm sure it would land you all detention for at least a week, even I can tell that he would much rather work on his homework."

Sirius stood. "What's it to you, Evans? Are you mad that your snaky boyfriend seems to be ignoring you-"

"And you're just mad that your friend prefers parchment, ink, and a dusty hundred-year-old castle to your amazing company," she shot back.

"Let's go, Sirius," James said quickly. He looked at the other boy. "We'll see you later, Remus," before they all left the library.

She returned to her essay, thankful she didn't spill any of the ink. _Grandor Neudsatch led the charge for the improvement of goblin behavior_. "Thank you," she heard a soft voice say, and she glanced back up. The boy stood in front of her now. He sat down at her table. "Thank you for that. My friends can be a little-"

"Obnoxious?"

He laughed. "I was going to say consistent."

This time, Lily laughed. "Say, are you working on your History of Magic essay? I don't understand any of what is going on in the battles."

"Maybe I can help you." He went to get his things, but turned back. "I'm Remus Lupin."

She smiled. "It's nice to meet you Remus Lupin. I'm Lily Evans."

* * *

 **Thanks so much for reading! I know that the time and dates are a little off for canon, but I had to put an Arthur and Molly cameo in it- I just love them so much! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! Please review! More chapters to come!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey Friends! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have been reading! Y'all melt a Potterhead's heart! Hope you enjoy!**

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Chapter Six: The First Quidditch Match of the Year

A crazed and unknown spirit moved throughout the Main Hall. Everyone was dressed in their brightest and boldest House colors. Some Gryffindors carried large banners and some had their faces painted in scarlet and gold.

Frank sat down and looked at Lily and Alice. "Well ladies, the day is finally here—the first quidditch match of the year! Who do you think is going to win?"

"Gryffindor, of course!" cheered Alice.

"What is Quidditch?" Lily asked softly.

They stared back at her, their mouths gaping open. Frank was the first to speak, and in a hushed tone, "You don't know what Quidditch is? That's like saying you don't know who Nicholas Flamel is!"

"Who?"

"Not important," said Frank. "Come on Lily, surely you've heard of Quidditch. With the broomsticks and the Golden Snitch?" He leaned back. "But it's like the greatest and most popular." "Frank, she didn't grow up in a magical house like we did, so of course she wouldn't know what Qudditch is." She giggled. "Don't worry Lily, we'll teach you. It's really fun."

* * *

Friends,

Sorry I couldn't tell you this in person, but I had to leave on such short notice. You see, my mother is getting worse and I need to go home. I should only be gone a few weeks, at the very most, so try not to get in too much trouble.

See you soon,

Remus Lupin

"Lucky bloke," Peter said, returning from reading over James's shoulder. "He gets out of McGonagal's test on Tuesday. And I bet it's going to be a hard one."

"What do you mean, 'Lucky Bloke'?" said James, "His mum is sick, you git!"

Sirius took a bite of a cream filled pastry, the contents dripping slightly on his scarlet shirt. "And he's missing the first Quidditch match of the season!"

After they finished eating, they ran out to the Quidditch pitch. The stands were already packed, and the excitement increased. He looked at the hoops on the far side of the pitch, his heart pounding. _One day_ , he thought.

"Hey Frank," Peter said, sliding in to a few open seats next to Frank Longbottom. Sirius and James followed him. Frank was sitting with Lily Evans and two other girls. James couldn't remember their names, but he had seen them with Lily and Frank before.

"Where's Remus?" Lily asked, her eyes gliding over the three of them. "Is he in the library again?"

"What's it to you, Evans?" asked Sirius.

"He's my friend," she said, "And I was only asking."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "What's your point? You've known him for a week now?"

"Three weeks." Her emerald eyes glowed. "What's your point? You've known him for only two months."

Sirius was about to fire back, but James interrupted. "He went home. His mum's sick."

She softened. "Oh. I hope everything will be okay."

"I'm sure it will be." He looked back at the pitch. First, the Hufflepuffs walked out and mounted their brooms, followed by Gryffindor and a deafening roar from the crowds.

"Okay Lily," James heard one of the girls say, "Quidditch is a very easy game to understand. Each team has-"

James's head shot up. "You don't know Quidditch? But it's the most popular game-"

"I swear if someone else says that it's the 'most popular game in the wizarding world', I'm going to jinx them."

"She's muggle born," Sirius said.

"Oh." James nodded. Made sense. What kind of witch didn't know about Quidditch? ""Well, each team has seven players: three chasers, two beaters-"

"Wait! Alice was explaining it to me!"

He looked at the girl she called Alice. "It'll probably be best if I do it... no offense."

She shook her head. "None taken. Go ahead."

He continued. "Three chasers, two beaters, a keeper, and a seeker. The chasers' jobs are to score the quaffle," Professor Prince, their flying instructor blew the whistle and threw the quaffle into the air below them. He pointed and her eyes followed. "It's that ball there, into one of the hoops."

"And how many points is that?"

"Ten," he answered.

"TEN POINTS GRYFFINDOR!" the commentator yelled, and everyone cheered.

"The beaters, they're the one with the bats, hit the bludgers at the other team." Lily and James both flinched as a Hufflepuff hit one right at a Gryffindor girl, causing her to almost fall off her broom. "And the keeper protects the team's goal posts and stops the other team from scoring-"

"TEN POINTS HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Which Gryffindor isn't doing a very good job of. Last, there is the seeker. The seeker's job is to catch the golden snitch, the smallest ball of the game."

"That's it? Well, that's easy!"

"TEN POINTS HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Don't be fooled Evans.. The snitch is really small, and it is very fast. The Seeker has to be super quick."

"AND HE HAS SEEN THE SNITCH!" Everyone leaned forward in anticipation. Their eyes followed Gryffindor's seeker as he zoomed around the pitch, dodging the bludgers and other players. "It's worth one hundred and fifty points, and when it's caught, the game ends."

"AND HE'S CAUGHT THE SNITCH!" Everyone stood and cheered. "GRYFFINDOR HAS ONE THE GAME!"

Lily stood with the rest. "That was exciting!" She looked at James. "Thank you for explaining it to me."

"Don't thank me. It was my Samaritan duty." He laughed. "We couldn't have a witch going around not knowing what Quidditch is. There would be riots."

* * *

James Potter might have been nice to her at the Quidditch match, and seemed like an alright guy, but in the days to follow, he proved himself to be complete toerag.

"Leave me alone, Potter!" She turned back to her notes as she waited outside of Potions for Professor Slughorn to call her name. "It isn't my fault you were too busy running around the halls with Peeves to study for the exam." _Six snake fangs, four horned slugs_

"Please Evans." He begged. "You're the brightest in our class."

 _Two porcupine quills and ginger root._ _Stir five times, clockwise._ "I said no."

Professor Slughorn stepped outside. "Miss Evans, are you ready?"

She stood, but before entering, she looked back at James. "Remember to stir clockwise."

After she had finished brewing what she believed to be a successful Cure for Boils, Professor Slughorn came and ladled it into a bright green bottle. He twirled it around a few times before setting it back on the table. He clapped his hands. "Great job, Miss Evans! It's perfect!"

"Thank you, Professor." She started to gather her things.

"No, really Miss Evans. You are the first one in your year to brew it perfectly." He sat on the counter. "Usually I only do this for older students, but I'm hoping you would be interested if I extend the offer. I have a club, for a lack of a better word and would think it fantastic for you to join. It's just a group of students, who I think are exceptionally brilliant, and we meet and have dinner together. We entertain guest wizards and witches from around the world." He smiled. "I see a great brilliance in you, Lily Evans, and with the right instruction and attitude, you can become a great witch someday. Are you interested?"

* * *

 **Well, there you go. I really hope you enjoyed it. Please review, and thank you again for reading! More chapters to come!**


	7. Chapter 7

m

 **Hey everybody! Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter! I had finals and moved back from college to home for the summer! Hope you enjoy it!:)**

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Chapter Seven: Mudblood

 _Mudblood._

Lily was nearly halfway through her first year at Hogwarts when she heard it for the first time. She was walking back from a Slug Club meeting in November, just after Thanksgiving. It was only her second meeting, and though all the other students were older, she really did enjoy it. She had just crossed the courtyard when she heard a small whimper.

There were two Slytherins. One was a first year. Lily recognized him from class, and the other was the blonde seventh year Severus would sit by. She would have turned away, and left them, if she wouldn't have seen the older Slytherin slam the other against a concrete pillar, his wand pushed against his throat.

"Please stop it, you're hurting me!" the first year cried, squirming to get out from under his grasp.

"I've told you, Avery. Either you are in or you are out. You will have to decide," he hissed, pressing the wand deeper to where Lily thought it would break the skin. "He does not like a coward!"

"Lucius, please-"

"Hey!" Lily's feet were moving before she thought anything of it. "Let him go!" She was almost to them now. "You heard me, let him go!"

The white headed boy turned to her, a sly smile on his face. "You dare order me what to do? I don't take orders from you, you _filthy mudblood_."

She took a step back. From the way it snarled off his tongue, Lily could tell it was an insult, a very bad insult. The boy laughed and released his grip. He looked to the other boy. "I'll see you later, Avery."

 _Mudblood_. That word still gave her chills, even after she returned to her room. She quickly got ready for bed, not speaking to either one of her roommates, in hopes of forgetting the events that happened earlier.

Alice looked up from her book, a puzzled expression on her face. "Lily, is everything alright?" Millie stopped what she was doing and waited for an answer also.

"Of course." Lily threw her clothes in the hamper and got in bed.

"Are you sure?" Millie inquired. Both her and Alice moved closer to her. "You seem a little shaken up."

"It's just that…" she paused, "Can I ask you something?" They both nodded, so she continued. "I ran into a Slytherin boy on my way back from Professor Slughorn's, and he called me something… what does _Mudblood_ mean?" Millie and Alice looked quickly away. "What is it? Is it really that bad?"

Millie glanced at Alice before they sat down on the edge of her bed. She said softly, "Lily, the word mudblood is a very offensive term for someone who is muggle-blood. . . dirty blood because they aren't from pure blooded wizards—they don't belong."

Lily's heart fell two inches. She could feel the tears forming and could hear her sister's _Freak_ screaming in her head. She though that once she came to Hogwarts, she would belong, that she would be normal, but even among those like herself, she was still an outsider—a freak.

* * *

 _James,_

 _Thank you for your concern, but you can really quit worrying so much about me. I've told you we're all fine here. My mother's ill spell is just taking a little longer than usual. I should be back in the next few days, just in time to land another detention with you and the boys for jinxing Morgan's cat again. Do try to stay out of too much trouble._

 _See you soon,_

 _Remus Lupin_

"He's still gone! Can you believe it? He's missing all the fun!" He looked up from his letter at Sirius across the table. Sirius was still reading his letter, the only letter he had received from home, and by the looks of it, it wasn't good news. "Is everything okay, Sirius?"

His head snapped up and he folded the paper quickly. "It seems like I won't be going home for Christmas." He put the letter in his bag. "I was lucky it wasn't a howler, I guess. How's our bloke Remus doing?"

"Alright, I guess. He says that he'll be back soon." James paused. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just not welcomed home for Christmas this year…Not surprised. I saw it coming, especially with Brown Nose Bella writing home every week, it was bound to happen."

"All this because you weren't housed Slytherin?" asked Peter. "I know the whole Pure blood thing was important to Slytherin, but this is just plain stupid."

"You don't know the half of it." He started to get up. "And can we just let it go? It's really not that big of a deal."

They left the Great Hall and started walking towards Transfiguration. James stopped Sirius just after Peter walked in. "You know if you need somewhere to go for Christmas, you could always go home with me." Sirius just stared at him. "What? I'm serious."

Sirius burst out laughing. "Did you just use pun on my name?"

He smiled before walking into the classroom. "Yeah. I guess I did."

James was really excited when Professor McGonagall instructed them on how to transform a match into a needle After weeks of very complicated and very boring notes, they were finally getting to do spells.

"Remember to concentrate on your match becoming the needle," instructed McGonagall. And they all went to work, trying their hardest to make their matches become needles.

It didn't seem to be working. Only a few people, like Lily Evans and Frank Longbottom, had managed to do it. No matter how hard he tried, he could barely turn the match silver.

Even Severus Snape had managed. "Very good, Mr. Snape," said McGonagall, handing him another match, "Try again." He smiled to himself and started working on the second match.

" _Wingardium leviosa_ ," James whispered. Snape's needle lifted, and it hit him in the eye. James snickered as McGonagall whipped around.

"Who did that?" James hid his laugh and pretended to concentrate on his match. After McGonagall turned back around, he tried it again, but before Snape's second needle hit him, James was hit in the face with a match. He looked about and noticed Lily's wand pointed directly at him. She sent another match flying. "Leave him alone," she whispered behind him, "You know using magic outside of class is against the rules."

"Says the witch using the levitation spell. Besides, it isn't outside of class. We're in class."

"I hardly think that's a loophole." She rolled her emerald eyes. "You're just jealous that he could do the spell and you can't."

"Or maybe I just like picking on him."

"Why? He hasn't done anything to you."

"Evans and Potter!" McGonagall stood in front of his desk, staring pointingly at them. "Unless you both want detention with Filtch, I suggest you both work on your assignment."

"Yes Professor," they both said in unison. Lily went back to turning her third match into a needle. James looked at Sirius and they began to plan their next prank on Severus Snape.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what you think! More chapters coming shortly!:)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! Here's another chapter. It's all focused on James, and it's Christmas time! I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Chapter Eight: Christmas

"Are you sure it's okay that I go home with you?" Sirius asked for the third time on the Hogwarts train in December. "I can always stay at school."

"And do what? Make Filtch miserable without me?" James leaned back on the cushions in their compartment. "I've told you, it's more than fine. And you can't back out now. We're almost there and I've already told my mum."

"I wish I was going home with you, James," said Peter, his head hanging low, "You two are going to have all the fun without me."

James clapped his back. "Maybe next year, Peter."

The train began to slow, and there was a big cheer from the students. Everyone got up and started to get their luggage. "Happy Christmas, Peter!" James said before him and Sirius exited the platform.

"James!" He heard his mother before he saw her. When he did, he ran into her arms. "James, we've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, Mum!"

She looked past him at Sirius. "And you must be James's friend. We're happy to have you, Sirius."

"Thank you, Mrs. Potter."

James looked around. "Where's Dad?"

"Oh you know your Father, always getting called into meetings at the last minute. He should be there to greet us when we get home. Now, let's get off this platform. We have a car waiting for us."

"I thought your Dad was retired," Sirius whispered once they were in the car.

"He is. But he still gets called into Auror meetings all the time," James said, "They still ask his opinions on cases."

* * *

The Potter house was in the full Christmas spirit when they arrived. Mrs. Potter had always loved going full swing for the holidays and this year was no different. Everything was decorated in the brightest greens and reds. A beautiful Christmas tree stood at twelve feet in the foyer and a nativity scene sat on the mantle above the fireplace.

"The house looks great, as usual, Mum," James said, kicking off his shoes at the front door.

She smiled. "Thanks. I didn't get the snowmen this year. You know how much your Father hates them."

"That's because they're ugly and distasteful," a voice said behind her.

"Dad!" James hugged him. "How was your meeting?"

"It was excellent." He turned his attention to his friend. "And you're Sirius Black, aren't you? You must be happy to get away from all those blasted Slytherins."

Sirius laughed. "Yes Sir."

"Sirius, you're going to be sleeping in the guest bedroom upstairs across from James's room," said Mrs. Potter, "James can show you where it is. Dinner will be ready shortly."

James and Sirius took their luggage up the stairs. James stopped at the second room on the right. "This is your room," he told Sirius, looking around as his best friend sat his luggage on the yellow bed. "I know it's a little bright. It's Mum's favorite color. Dad hates it, but I guess that's what he gets for marrying a Hufflepuff."

"You're Mum was a Hufflepuff?"

"Why do you think she's so _nice_?"

Sirius's grin grew, and they both busted into laughter. James left him to unpack his things and went down the hall to his room. Everything was just as he had left it. Even the old pair of glasses rimmed with ink laid on his desk in the corner. He chuckled, thinking about the April Fool's joke he played on his dad a few years earlier. He smiled to himself. It was good to be home.

* * *

"Sirius, I hope you like pot-roast," Mrs. Potter said once they were settled and downstairs for dinner. "It's James's and Fleamont's favorite."

"I enjoy pot-roast very much," said Sirius.

"Don't worry about him, Mum," James said, "He'll eat just about anything."

A small house elf walked into the dining room, a large tray clattering in her arms. She sat it in the center of the table and wiped her forehead. "Wanda!" exclaimed James. "I was wondering where you ran off to!"

Her large eyes widened. "Master Potter! Wanda is happy to see Master Potter. She was just asking Mistress Potter when Master Potter would be coming home from Hogwarts and here you are!"

James smiled. "It's good to see you too, Wanda."

Wanda the elf looked at James's dad. "Will there be anything else, Master Potter?"

"No dear, everything looks fine. Thank you, Wanda."

"Do you have any house elves?" James asked Sirius, taking a stab at the pot-roast in front of him.

Sirius nodded. "Only one, Kreacher, and he's kind of a mess."

"So boys," said Mrs. Potter, drawing the subject away from the Black family. "How has school been? Did you both have a good first term?"

"Good," James said with his mouth full, earning a look from his mother. "Gryffindor is in the lead for the House Cup."

"Excellent!" cheered Mr. Potter, who also earned a look because of his full mouth, "Gryffindor fully deserves it being the best house at Hogwarts. I told you, James, you had the heart of a Gryffindor. You're probably stacking up on points."

"Oh Fleamont." Mrs. Potter rolled her eyes. "You know better than I do that your son is probably costing points for his house more than gaining them with all the pranks he's probably pulling on unsuspecting students."

"Mum, you have no faith in me!" He laughed. "Besides, they're just innocent pranks, nothing too serious."

"Like the other day," added Sirius, "We were turning matches into needles in Transfiguration, and he jinxed one bloke's needles to keep hitting him in the face. It was pretty funny."

"That's horrible!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed. "That poor boy!"

"He's a Slytherin," said Sirius before James got the chance.

Mr. Potter laughed. "Well—"

"No!" Mrs. Potter chuckled, but also in an underlying serious note. "Don't do that, Fleamont, don't encourage their marauding ways."

* * *

The next few days flew by. James was nervous that Sirius would feel weird, being used to celebrating the holidays with the big Black family to celebrating with the small Potter family, but Sirius seemed to enjoy himself and his time away from home. James and his family took Sirius sledding, Christmas caroling, and they made gingerbread houses.

On Christmas morning, they both woke up the elderly Potters and ran downstairs for their presents. They opened their presents from their friends and each other first, mostly chocolate frogs and sugar quills. "This is for you," Sirius said, handing James a small gift wrapped in newspaper. It was a handheld mirror. Sirius pulled out an exact copy from his pocket. "I have one too and they can-"

"Can they communicate with one another?"

Sirius grinned and nodded. Mrs. Potter rolled her eyes. "Oh dear, just what you two need. More ways to get in trouble."

They continued to open presents. Sirius got a new sweater and Gryffindor red tie from Mr. and Mrs. Potter. At the end, there was one present left and it had James's name on it. James opened it quickly, but nothing was there. All he saw was the bottom of the box. He looked up confused.

His dad chuckled and grabbed the box from him. "It's a family heirloom, so be careful, and remember to use it wisely." With one quick motion, he grabbed something out of the box, the box hitting the floor, and wrapped it around his shoulders. Now, all James saw of his dad was his head floating above where his body once was.

"Dad, you're invisible!"

"Wicked." Sirius's mouth hanged open. "James, it's an invisibility cloak!"

"Really?" His dad took it off and handed it to him. He reached out and his hand grazed something slippery, but it was definitely tangible. He wrapped it around him and above his head. "Well? Am I invisible?"

"Completely!" said Sirius.

James popped his head out. "This is awesome! Thank you, Dad!"

* * *

James and Sirius spent the next week running around the house with the two way mirrors and scaring Wanda with the invisibility cloak. The holiday break went by quickly, and before they realized it, it was the morning before the day they were to board the train to return to Hogwarts.

James and Sirius walked into the kitchen, where his mum sat at the breakfast table. James poured himself a glass of plum juice and peered over at a newspaper. On the front, the headline read in big block letters:

 **MUGGLE-BORNS MISSING**

"Sirius! Listen to this!" he grabbed the newspaper and read, " _Over the last month, there have been an overflow of reported missing witches and wizards, all of muggle born descent. There have been no claims of these reports being connected or criminal activity_." He looked up. "I bet this is the case my dad is helping with!"

"Muggle-borns have gone missing?" Sirius said, "The Black family is probably over the wall with excitement."

James wanted to ask more about his family, but he knew maybe it wasn't the best time, especially with them soon to leave for Hogwarts. He would hate to end the great break on such a sad note. "I wonder what's going on."

"Maybe it's a fluke." Sirius took a bite of his breakfast. "Maybe they aren't linked together."

"Maybe." James closed the newspaper. "Or maybe there is something bigger going on."

"Now you sound like your father." Mrs. Potter stood. "I'm sure everything is fine. Just focus on having a good second term."

But James knew his mum was wrong. Witches and wizards don't just disappear, especially not muggle borns. Something bigger was going on.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think! More chapters to come in the future! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey Potter fans!**

 **First, I want to say a huge apology for the hiatus. It has been a crazy last few weeks. I was sick for a little bit and then I was helping with my brother's wedding, but now that it is over and I feel better and I'm officially on summer vacation, I will be uploading a lot more frequently!**

 **Second, I've hit over 1,000 views! Yay! Thank you to everyone who is reading! Also, I want to thank the few people who have reviewed (THANK YOU SO MUCH) and beg for more reviews! It's really hard to gauge reactions when you get very few reviews! So, if you are reviewing my work, I would love to hear what you think! And if you review, I promise to give you a shout out and if you've written anything, I would love to check it out!**

 **Lastly, I just want to take a second to say that my thoughts are with the families of the victims of the Orlando mass shooting. What happened was a tragedy and my thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims.**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: Slughorn's Project**

"Remus!" Sirius cheered in the Great Hall the first day of classes back at Hogwarts. Remus Lupin sat down across from the two of them and grabbed a few pieces of bacon. "How was your break?"

"How's your mum doing?" asked James.

"Break was great, and Mum's doing good." Remus stabbed a piece of ham with his fork. "She seemed to get a lot better over the break. How was your break?"

"It was awesome!" Sirius leaned across the table and whispered. "Guess what James got for Christmas?" He waited, and when no one played along, he continued, "An invisibility cloak!"

Remus looked at James. "Really?" And James nodded.

"Can you believe it?" Sirius grinned. "Imagine what all we can do now that we have one!"

James laughed. "Filtch is going to hate us more than he already does."

"Serves him right for giving us detention right before break," said Sirius.

"And as long as Lily Evans doesn't see us-"

"Lily isn't that bad," Remus defended.

"Are you kidding?" James stood. "She ruins everything."

* * *

"So how was your break, Lily?" Frank Longbottom asked as Lily, Alice, and Millie sat down next to him in Potions.

Lily's mind wondered to the countless fights she had had with Tuney over the break. Even after being separated for four months, she still seemed to hate her. So, Lily lied. "It was good. Lots of family time. How was yours?"

"Yeah, weren't you visiting family in the U.S.?" asked Alice, "How was that?"

Frank smiled. "It was a little warmer than what I'm used to, but my cousins were loads of fun."

"And the guest bedroom was yellow. Yellow!" Sirius Black was saying to his band of friends behind them. Lily tried to ignore them, but they were being loud as usual. "Potter's mom was a Hufflepuff."

"A Hufflepuff?" It was Peter.

"There's nothing wrong with Hufflepuffs," Remus Lupin scolded.

"Yeah," said James, "And what we should be talking about is our next prank on Filch."

This got Lily's attention. Apparently, a Christmas miracle hadn't occurred over the break since they seemed to be up to their pranking ways. She turned. "Costing more points for Gryffindor, are you?"

"Sticking your nose in our business again, are you Evans?" countered Sirius.

Lily rolled her eyes as Professor Slughorn walked into the dungeon classroom, calling the class of wizards and witches to attention. "Welcome back, students. I hope each of you had a great holiday break." He walked to the front of the class and looked at them. "Now, as much of you know from older students, the time has come for the First Year Potions Project, worth fifty percent of your overall grade." He started to pass out pieces of parchment to the class. "I have paired each of you up, and you are to brew a potion from your book of your choice. Then, you will present it to me for a grade. Have fun with this. The name of your partner is written on the top of your page."

Lily glanced down at the parchment in front of her, nearly throwing up her breakfast.

 _James Potter_

* * *

 _Lily Evans_

James nearly died when he saw the name of his partner for Slughorn's project. Slughorn was definitely playing some sick joke. There was no way Lily and himself was going to work well together.

"Evans?" Peter read, "That should be fun."

"Who did you get?"

"Sirius," Peter answered.

James looked at Remus. "And what about you?"

"Frank Longbottom."

Frank was an alright bloke. Slughorn dismissed the class early, so James began to gather his things to leave. "Well, this isn't fair."

"It's not that bad," said Remus. "It could be worse."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw red and turned around. Lily was staring at him with an already annoyed expression on her face. "You act like you were partnered with the Giant Squid."

She rolled her eyes. "Might as well be."

"Look, I really don't like this anymore than you do." James looked back for his friends, who had already left without him. "Why don't we meet up tonight? After dinner in the library?"

She nodded. "See you then."

* * *

Lily couldn't believe that James was actually early to their meeting. She thought for sure that he would be twenty minutes late, most likely running behind due to a prank pulled on Filtch or her former best friend Severus, but to her surprise, there he sat in the corner of the library after dinner.

She sat down across from him, pulling out her potions book and a few pieces of parchment. "So, I was thinking we would do an antidote to common poisons."

"Where's the fun in that?" He also pulled out his potions book and parchments. "I was thinking we could do a sleeping draught or even an aging potion."

"Absolutely not." She shook her head. "I have perfect marks, and I would rather keep it that way. This antidote is simple and guaranteed to get us a good grade."

"And we did that one in class, so everyone is probably going to do it. Let's give Slughorn a break and a little variety." James pushed a parchment with the ingredients in front of her. "A sleeping draught potion is also simple and will guarantee a good grade."

Lily looked down at the potion. He was right for once. The potion was simple. "Potter-"

"Evans listen, I don't like this anymore than you do, but if you want to get a good grade, as do I, we have to work together to get this done."

She sighed. "Fine."

* * *

Two days had gone by and to Lily's surprise, James actually knew what he was talking about. Despite the fact that he tried his hardest not to show it, James was really clever. He wasn't bad at potions, but not as good as Lily.

"You are supposed to add more Valerian Sprigs," Lily instructed as James added the fourth sprig. The sprig sunk and dissolved into the dingy liquid.

James peered over at their potions textbook. "Are you sure we let it set for seventy minutes?"

"Of course. I set a timer." She grabbed the book from him. "It says the next step is to stir seven times, clockwise." As James started stirring, "Make sure it's clockwise!"

He finished stirring. "Now what?"

Lily waved her wand over the potion and it turned into a crystal blue color. "There. It's perfect."

"Now all we have to do is test it," said James, ladling it into a bottle.

"Test it? As in drink it?"

"Yes Evans that's what you do with potions. You drink them, and they say you're the smartest in our class." He motioned for her to take it. "We need to see if we brewed it right. We can always redo it before we turn it in. Come now, you'll only be out for a little while, and I'll make sure you aren't disturbed. Don't you trust me?"

"No."

James laughed. "Just drink it."

"Fine." Lily took the potion from him and held it up. "Cheers." The blue liquid filled her throat and within seconds, everything went black.

* * *

James checked his watch for the third time. It had been over an hour and Lily was still deep in sleep. He looked over at her leaned against the table in the library, her auburn hair in spirals around her. She was uptight at times, sure, and could never take a joke, but James was beginning to realize that she wasn't that bad to be around. She was friendly—everyone seemed to like her, and she was the cleverest witch in their class.

The timer dinged and he added a few more ingredients before stirring a redo potion. He waved his wand and it turned blue.

" _Tuney no_ ," a small whimper came from Lily, who still had her eyes closed.

James smiled to himself and ladled the potion into a brown stopper. Lily began to stir. "James?" she asked groggily, wiping her green eyes. "How long was I out?"

"About an hour and a half." James handed her the bottle. "I made another."

She smiled. "Thanks."

They began to gather their things. "Who's Tuney?" asked James. Lily's eyes widened. "You were talking in your sleep."

"She's my sister." Lily looked away, so James decided not to pry. He had overheard her talking about her sister on the train way back in September, and it hadn't sounded like a close and friendly relationship. "So, are we done here? I have plans with my friends and Filtch."

* * *

James Potter continued to surprise her. One moment he was friendly and nice, but the next minute he was the same annoying trickster from before. And if what she heard about an invisibility cloak was accurate, his pranking was only going to get worse.

She shook her head, rounding the corner, almost to the Gryffindor common room, when she heard someone calling her name. It wasn't loud, but a small whisper. "Lily!"

She turned, looking into the cool eyes of her former best friend. "Severus, what are you doing here?"

His eyes looked around before landing on her. "I miss my best friend."

"Really? And when did you decide this, may I ask? After five months of completely ignoring her?" Lily spat. "And what? Did you forget that I got sorted into Gryffindor?"

"It was stupid, Lily. The whole thing," said Severus. "I was sorted into Slytherin because I am a Slytherin, and you were sorted into Gryffindor because you are brave, Lily, and it was stupid for me to think that we couldn't be friends, especially when I miss you so much. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Forgive him? It had been months. He had been a complete jerk, and she made friends. But no one understood her like Severus. And despite everything, he had missed him.

Lily sighed. "If you ever do anything like that to me again, Severus, I swear, I will jinx you."

He smiled. "I promise I won't."

"Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

 **So, Severus and Lily are friends again. I hope you enjoyed it! And please please PLEASE review! I would love to hear your thoughts. Also, there's only 2 CHAPTERS LEFT IN YEAR ONE, and then I'll start writing year 2! So excited! Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everybody! Here's a new chapter for you! This was my favorite chapter to write so far, and I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: These are J.K Rowling's characters (she owns Harry Potter), I'm just playing with them!**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten: Detention**

"I'll see you later then?" Severus asked the next day as they both walked into the Dining Hall for breakfast.

"Yeah, see you later," said Lily. She went and took her usual seat between Alice and Frank and across from Millie, who all gaped openly at her.

Millie was the first one to speak. "So you and Snape are friends again?"

"His name is Severus," she said, reaching and grabbing a cookie from the platter in the middle of the table. "And yes, I've forgiven him."

"But he was such a jerk, Lily," said Frank.

"And I've seen him around that Avery and Malfoy boy," Millie reasoned, "The ones that called you—well, _you know_."

"I know, but Severus isn't like them. Severus is my friend. He would never do anything to hurt me."

"Are you sure, Lily?" Alice asked.

Lily nodded. "I'm sure."

* * *

"And did you see the look on Filch's face when we took the keys right out of his pocket?" Peter said as the four of them made their way into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"We have to try that again tonight," added Sirius, "We could probably get him to pee his pants this time."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Maybe this time we could do something radical… like our homework."

The other three chuckled loudly as Professor Pickmont came into the classroom, calling the class to quiet down. He peered over his glasses as he spoke, "Today we will be working on the Knockback Jinx. And you need to pay attention because this will be on your final exams." He continued, "When used correctly, this spell can knock over your opponent. Observe. Mr. Longbottom, if you will."

Frank looked nervous as he stood in front of the class opposite of Professor Pickmont. The Professor waved his wand and yelled, " _Flipendo_!", which sent an unsuspecting Frank flying back onto the marble floors. "And there you have it." He helped Frank to his feet. "As you see in front of you, there are three vases of different sizes and weights. Start with the smallest, knocking them over with the Knockback Jinx. Remember the wand motions you read for today's lesson."

Several broken vases later, class was dismissed and James and his friends left, confident in their abilities. They were behind Severus and a few other Slytherins when James caught Sirius's eye. "Watch this," he whispered, drawing his wand. " _Flipendo_!" Severus fell back into three Ravenclaw first year girls walking past.

Severus stood, his wand already drawn. " _Vermillious_!" Red streams emitted from his wand.

Sirius laughed. "Is that the best you can do?" He was about to do an incantation, but Severus yelled, " _Fumos_!" sending a defensive screen of smoke around him.

When the smoke cleared, James waved his wand, " _Mucus ad Nauseam_ ," causing Severus to fall back, holding his nose because of the Curse of the Bogies.

James chuckled confidently, about to finish him off, but a familiar female voice yelled, " _Flipendo_!" sending him crashing into the wall behind him. He glanced up at Lily Evans, who remained in a defensive stance, her wand still at the ready. "Leave him alone! _Flipendo_!"

"Miss Evans and Mr. Potter!" Professor McGonagall stood above them, a pointed expression on her face. "What do you think you are doing? And Mr. Black and Mr. Snape." All of them looked up at her now. "Do you have any idea of the consequences of using magic outside of class? And on fellow students?"

"Potter started it," Severus spat.

"Really? And was that not your Smokescreen Spell?"

He hung his head, "Yes, Professor."

"Go see Professor Pickmont. As the head of Slytherin House, he will instruct your punishment." When Severus had gone, she turned back to them. "And as for the three of you, you will be serving out your detention, starting tonight, with Professor Slughorn cleaning cauldrons in the dungeons."

"But Professor," tried Lily.

"No buts, Miss Evans. Mr. Slughorn will be expecting you after dinner."

* * *

Lily couldn't believe it. _Detention_.

She had gotten detention. _DETENTION_. She was a perfect student, not the type of person to get detention, especially for breaking a rule so atrocious as doing magic against a student outside of the classroom.

This was Potter's fault. He had started it. Severus was merely trying to defend himself, and she had been trying to keep Severus from ending up in the infirmary. Why Potter and Black thought teasing people was fun she would never completely understand, and now, she had to spend a whole evening with the two of them. And on top of everything, she had an essay for Herbology left to finish.

But she tried not to think about this now. Instead, she focused on the task in front of her. Lily gently scrubbed the grime and leftover potion out of the cauldrons, rinsed, and set them aside to dry.

"This is the worst," whispered James to Sirius.

Sirius grumbled. "All this for a Curse of the Bogies and a stupid Knockback Jinx. Next time, if we're going to get detention, we should hit him with something permanent."

"Or you could just leave him alone," said Lily. She finished another cauldron. "Severus has done absolutely nothing to you."

"Ha," Sirius cackled.

"From where I stood today, Severus was trying to defend himself. You two started it with the Knockback Jinx. You always start it. Why do you bother him so?"

They both stared at her. "Because he's a Slytherin," James said, as if it was the most obvious conclusion, and Sirius nodded.

Lily looked at Sirius. "But I thought your family was Slytherin."

"You know nothing about my family," Sirius snapped. He slammed a cauldron down, causing it to clatter against the tabletop but not break, and stormed out of the room.

James picked up the cauldron and finished cleaning it. "He doesn't like talking about his family," he whispered, setting the cauldron aside and continuing his stack. "He's not like them."

"And Severus isn't like the other Slytherins," said Lily.

"He was sorted into Slytherin for a reason."

"You don't know Severus like I do."

* * *

After a little while of cleaning cauldrons, Professor Slughorn came back in and dismissed them. They cleaned up and left the Potions classroom and walked down the dimly lit corridor on their way to the Gryffindor common room. James and Sirius followed behind Lily, and as she turned a corner, James quickly pulled her back.

Her green eyes shot him an angry look. "What are you-"

James sshhed her, motioning towards the two Slytherin boys blocking the hallway. "Did you read today's paper?" one of the boys was practically cheering and shoving a paper into the other's hands.

The other boy glanced over the paper in his hands. "Three muggle-borns found dead at Godric's Hallow? And more reported missing?" He looked up. "Serves those mudbloods right, acting like they belong—that they're equals in the wizarding world. Ha!"

James looked back at Lily. A few tears glittered her eyes. He had known of the Slytherins' obsession with blood status, and even his great ancestors gave into the same thinking, but never had he thought that someone would go to the extreme lengths of murdering muggle-borns or that people would be happy about it.

The Slytherins continued on their way and James, Lily, and Sirius came out of the shadows. They walked quietly, but Sirius was the first to speak. "There's definitely something bigger going on. James, remember the paper during Holiday Break? And I bet the Slytherins have something to do with it."

Lily still hadn't said anything. "Lily, are you okay?" James asked.

She sniffled. "I'm fine." He knew she was lying, but didn't want to press any further.

The walked up the stairs and stopped outside the Gryffindor's quarters. "Password," the Fat Lady demanded.

"Williwompus," Lily whispered, and the portrait swung open. James's stomach was in knots, wanting to say something to her as she walked up the steps to go to bed, but no words came to mind. What do you say to someone who just learned that people like her are being murdered?

But one thing was certain. Sirius was right. Not only were muggle-borns going missing, and apparently being murdered, but the Slytherins had something to do with it.

* * *

 **Thanks so much for reading! Please review and let me know what you think (I'll give you a shout out). Also, ONE CHAPTER LEFT of Year One before I continue Lily and James's journey to year Two!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Well, here it is, folks! The final chapter of Lily and James's year one. Thank you so much for sticking with me through year one, and a special thank you to SiriuslyObsessed431 and the Guest reviewer who left the kind reviews for chapter 10! You are awesome!**

 **This chapter is a little shorter and didn't turn out like I wanted it to, but I hope you enjoy it! Please Review!**

 **Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

* * *

Chapter Eleven: The Marauders

"Good work, Miss Evans," Professor McGonagall said, handing her examination papers back. "Perfect marks. I knew when the Headmaster and I visited your home last summer, we were gaining a brilliant witch."

Lily beamed, gathering up her things. "Thank you, Professor."

McGonagall smiled. "Have a good summer."

Severus was waiting outside Professor McGonagall's office. "How did you do?" he asked, quickening his pace to keep up with her.

"Well. More than well, actually. I got perfect marks."

He hung his head. "I wish I can say the same. I didn't do so well in Transfiguration. I think McGonagall hates me."

She chuckled. "I'm sure that isn't true. Besides, there's always next year."

"Yeah, I guess."

They rounded the corner to the Great Hall, which was decorated in blue and bronze and eagle banners were hung about. Severus turned to head toward the Slytherin table. "I'll see you on the train tomorrow morning."

She couldn't believe that in less than twenty-four hours, she would be boarding the train home. She had waited for what seemed like forever to go to Hogwarts and now, her first year was coming to a close.

"Have you read the paper today?" Millie was talking to Frank and Alice as she sat down next to them. "More muggle-borns have been reported missing, and some have been found dead. Rumor is that this is the work of a single witch or wizard or people working under them."

"I'm sure it's just a coincidence," said Frank.

"A coincidence? Are you serious? They're all muggle-born. Isn't that a little weird?"

Frank glanced at Lily and gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence."

Alice changed the subject. "Can you believe it's the last day of the year?"

"I'm going to miss you all so much!" Millie exclaimed.

Dumbledore took to the podium, and used his wand to make his voice louder. "Congratulations on a wonderful year at Hogwarts, and congratulations to Ravenclaw House for their outstanding work and achievements and for winning this year's House Cup…"

* * *

"You're sitting with him?" Millie asked the next morning on the train home, glaring at Severus, who despite the school year being over, still wore his Slytherin robes.

"Of course. He's my friend." Alice and Frank were eager to meet him and were already in the compartment, but Millie was being hesitant.

They entered the compartment and Severus smiled at them. After the introductions, Lily settled in between Severus and Alice. She tried not to think about the missing and murdered muggle-borns, or how in a matter of hours, she would be home with Petunia. She had missed her sister, but if Christmas Break was any inkling on how summer was going to go, she was in for a miserable one. At least she had Severus, and her new friends.

She looked at them. "Promise me you'll write this summer."

Alice smiled. "Of course. Every day."

"Good." She grinned and stood. "I'm going to go catch the cart lady and see if she has any chocolate frogs left. Anyone want anything?"

They all declined. Lily found the cart of sweets and lucky for her, they still had a couple of chocolate frogs left. Heading back to her seat, she overheard a few Slytherin boys teasing a first year Ravenclaw. She had seen some of them in her classes and knew that they were mean.

"Poor Helga," one of them was saying. She knew his name was Avery. The girl looked like she was about to cry. "Are you sad that so many people like you are going missing?"

Another one laughed. "Maybe, if you're lucky, you'll be next."

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Lily said, and all of them looked at her.

"Isn't that sweet?" Avery said. "One mudblood sticking up for another mudblood. What about you, Evans? Are you nervous that you're going to be next?"

"It's just a coincidence," Lily told him, not really believing it.

He smiled wryly. "Keep telling yourself that. They'll be after you next. You just watch, you filthy mudblood."

Lily turned on her heels. " _Mucus ad Nauseam_ ," she whispered. She heard them shuffle, running out of their compartment to find the nearest tissues for their noses. She laughed silently to herself before heading back to her seat.

* * *

"It's the end of the year!" Remus said, taking a bite out of his chocolate frog. "Can you believe it? It seems like we just got sorted into Gryffindor."

James laughed and looked at Sirius, who was staring out the train window. He had been silent since they got on Hogwarts Express. He was nervous about going back home for the summer, back to his family for a whole three months.

Two fourth year Hufflepuff girls walked by their compartment and before James thought better of it, he pulled out his wand. He muttered an incantation and tiny paper airplanes started chasing them. They screamed, running around the train, and James and his friends burst into laughter.

"That was fun," James said, leaning back against the train. "I can't wait to try that on Filch next year."

"Or _Snivallus_ ," Sirius teased.

James laughed. "Yeah or Snivallus."

The two girls returned, this time with the Muggle Studies Professor. "There they are, Professor! Those marauders!"

After the Professor scolded them about using magic outside of Hogwarts, she left them. Sirius looked at the three of them as the train started to come to a halt. "What did she call us?"

"The Marauders," said Remus.

James smiled. "I like the sound of that."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Please review!**

 **Well, my favorite people, there you have it. The end of year one! Bring on the tissues... Just kidding! I'm currently writing Year Two chapters, so more chapters coming soon!:)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey Everyone! Thank you to everyone who loved year 1, and now we're back with year 2! I already have it all planned out, and there's about 8 chapters, a little shorter than year 1, but don't worry year 2 is action packed! Thank you for the added favorites and follows, and especially** **SiriuslyObsessed431 for the kind review! You rock!**

 **Now, without further _adieu_ , I give you- year 2!:)**

* * *

Part Two: Year Two

Chapter Twelve: Year Two

James pushed off of the ground, flying at full speed towards the top of his house. He zoomed about quickly, loving the way the wind moved throughout his body and vibrated against his new broomstick. He hadn't asked for it, but his father insisted, saying that if he was to make Gryffindor's Quidditch team, he needed a new broom, and a good one at that. And nothing mattered to him more, or James, than making the Quidditch team.

"Do you plan on flying to Hogwarts?" his mother called from the ground below. She stared up at him, shielding her eyes from the sun. "Come down from there! It's almost time to leave!"

James grinned mischievously, plummeting to the ground. When he got just inches away from her, he pulled up and flew around her several times. "JAMES POTTER!" His mother fanned herself nervously as he came to a halt in front of her.

He shouldered his broom. "Relax Mum, it's just a little teasing. No harm no foul."

After they made their way inside, James ran quickly upstairs and packed his broom, along with a few other things, before carrying it all downstairs. It was September 1st, and he was excited about starting his second year at Hogwarts. The Marauders wrote frequently to him over the break, and they had all planned their new pranks for the new school year. It was going to be a year to remember.

"I can't believe my little boy is heading off to his second year of Hogwarts," his mother said once they were on the platform. "When did you get so big?" She pulled him in for a hug and went in for a kiss on the cheek.

He pulled away. "No more kissing, Mum. Sirius will never let me live it down."

"Too late," a voice said behind him.

James turned and embraced his best mate. Sirius hit him playfully on the jaw. "At least it's not lipstick this time."

The train whistle blew and James looked at his mom. "I love you, sweetheart," said Mrs. Potter, embracing him one last time, "Have a good year. Don't forget to write!"

"Where's Peter and Remus?" Sirius asked once they were on the train.

"I saw them just before I saw you. They said they would save us a seat."

Sirius grinned. "Whatever you say, _sweetheart_."

* * *

The train whistle blew, and Lily hugged her father goodbye. "I can't believe Tuney refused to see me off," she whispered against his chest.

He pulled back and his green eyes met hers. "Ignore her, Lily flower. She's just going through a phase."

"The entire summer?"

He shrugged. "Maybe it's a long phase. Listen, just focus on your studies and having a good year. I'm sure by Christmas time, Tuney will be back to normal."

"Okay," she said, halfheartedly. She loved her father, but she didn't quite believe him. Petunia was always the type of person to hold a grudge, but this was much more than that. Petunia resented Lily because she was a witch, and there wasn't any going back from that.

Lily said goodbye to her father and got on the train, just as the train whistle blew. She found Severus and sat down next to him. After a minute or so of silence and looking out the window, Severus looked at her and sighed. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you're upset about Petunia again."

"She didn't come to see me off on the train. She hardly talked to me all summer, and when we did talk, we got into these really big rows. I just don't know what to do."

"If she has a problem with you being a witch, that's her problem to deal with." He laughed softly. "She's just a muggle, Lily."

"She's my sister, Severus! And I love her more than anything else in the world. Why can't you get that?"

"Lily!" They both jumped at the sound of Lily's name being called. Alice and Millie rushed into the compartment and hugged her. "I've missed you so much!" exclaimed Mille. "How was your summer?"

* * *

James and his friends were laughing so hard that he didn't realize the moment they arrived at Hogwarts. After getting their things and riding the carriages, they made their way to the Great Hall along with the rest of the students.

James looked over the crowd of first year students, eagerly awaiting the Sorting. Sirius leaned over and whispered, "Were we really that tiny last year?"

James laughed as the first student took their place on the stool. The hat thought for a moment before yelling, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Holt, Catherine," Professor McGonagall called.

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Prewett, Roselyn."

A small blonde sat nervously on the stool. "GRYFFINDOR!" James cheered with the rest of his house as Roselyn took a seat at the end of the table.

Next, McGonagall read, "Black, Regulus." A slender boy with black hair similar to Sirius's walked up to the stool, the entire school's eyes on him.

Remus looked at Sirius. "Another relative of yours, Sirius?"

"A cousin?" asked Peter.

Sirius wouldn't look up, and at first, James didn't think he was going to answer. "No, he's my-"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Everyone clapped and Regulus made his way to the Slytherin table, sitting right next to Severus Snape, who clapped him on the back.

"Sirius, who is he?" James asked.

Sirius gulped. "He's my brother."

"Brother?" Remus said. "You have a brother?"

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" questioned Peter.

"It never came up," answered Sirius. "And I knew he was going to be housed in Slytherin, so I didn't think it would matter. We probably won't even talk."

"And that doesn't bother you?" James was an only child, but he couldn't imagine going to school with a relative, or a _brother_ , and never talking to them.

He shrugged. "I guess not."

After the last name was called and the first year girl was housed in Ravenclaw, Dumbledore glided to the podium. "Welcome students and faculty to another great year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Before we get to the feast, I have a few announcements to make. First, it is my honor to present our new Defense Against the Arts professor, Roselda Schlange." A spindly woman with long dark hair lifted her goblet as everyone clapped. Dumbledore continued, "Secondly, because of recent events, all students are prohibited from going into the forest. Also, all students are required to be in their houses' common rooms by ten o'clock each evening, no exceptions. Prefects will be enforcing these rules and any students caught breaking these rules will face the most serious consequences." He smiled and raised his hands. "Now that all the minute things are out of the way, let the feast begin!"

The sound of clattering dishes and hungry wizards echoed throughout the grand room. Peter, gobbling on a grilled turkey leg, swallowed and said to his friends, "Ten! We have to be in by ten! Rubbish, I tell you, it's rubbish!" He took another bite, and the cherry glaze dripped down his chin. "And what does Dumbledore mean, 'Because of recent events'?"

Remus handed him an extra napkin. "You have a little something on your chin, mate." Peter wiped it off as Remus said, "I knew that the number of missing cases are growing, but I didn't think it was a problem for Hogwarts."

"I heard that some people were refusing to send their kids off to Hogwarts," said Sirius. "Instead, they've been sent off to Durmstrang and Beauaxbatons, and some even Ilvermorny, the wusses."

"You can hardly blame them," Remus said, earning a smarted look from Sirius and Peter, "Oh, don't look at me like that. We all know something is going on, and for whatever reason, the ministry nor the professors at Hogwarts want to talk about it. People are going missing, and people are scared."

James spoke up. "Yeah, but running away doesn't solve anything."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope you are as excited about year two as I am! A lot of stuff to come! Please, please, please Review!:)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you to everyone who has been reading! I hope you enjoy the chapter! And to all my fellow Americans out there, I hope you have a fun and safe Fourth of July weekend!**

 **Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen: Roselda Schlange**

 _Lycanthropy is a magical illness known to be spread by the mixture of blood and saliva. When an infected, in their lycanthropic form, bites a human on a full moon, the bitten will become infected themselves. Most muggles die from the infection; however, a mixture of silver and dittany can be applied to the wounds and allows witches and wizards to live on as a werewolf_. He wrapped his hands tighter around the book. _There is no cure for lycanthropy, but the Wolfsbane Potion allows an infected witch or wizard to maintain their human mind during transformations_.

"Potter?" he heard his friends calling his name. He looked up and Sirius stared back at him, an amused expression on his face. "Potter, you alright?"

James closed his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook and rubbed his temples. "I think I need glasses. The words are a little blurry."

"You're reading a textbook?" Sirius laughed. "You're as bad as Remus!" Remus gave him a look from his usual seat across from them. "We haven't even been to class yet!"

"The other houses are saying Professor Schlange is requiring all the second years to do a six-and-a-half-foot essay on dark creatures," Peter said.

"You best get to reading then," Remus said, gathering up his things. They all stood, and along with the other Gryffindor and Slytherin students, made their way into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The Marauders sat in the back, mostly because they could get away with teasing and planning their next pranks, but also because most of them, with maybe the exception of Peter, hated the class.

Lily Evans sat a few rows up with Millie Crater and Alice Meadows. Her hair was a little longer and slightly darker, making her green eyes even brighter as they looked around the room. Her eyes landed on him and she looked away quickly. Severus Snape sat down next to her, and she smiled at him. James knew that she forgave him right before summer break, and apparently, now things were back to normal.

Professor Roselda Schlange entered, her heels clicking against the stone floor, and the room fell silent. She looked over the class, walking down each row of students. "Hello, I am Professor Schlange, and this is Defense Against the Dark Arts year two. In this class, there will be no dabbling or carrying on. You will not talk when I am talking nor will you do any magic unless I direct you to. You will learn the proper way to duel. We will also study many dark creatures and at the end of the year, each of you will be required to write an in depth essay on one of your choosing, six and a half feet in length, worth thirty percent of your grade." The class let out a groan and her face scrunched into a tickled expression. "Now, according to our reading, can anyone tell me the best way to tame a herd of cornish pixies?" A few people, including Lily Evans and Alice Meadows, raised their hands, but Professor Schlange's eyes floated over them and landed on a Slytherin. "Mr. Snape, can you tell us?"

From his seat behind him, James could see Severus gulp. "Well, um… Professor, Cornish pixies are known for their trickiness, so it's best not to come across one, much less a whole herd, but if you do come across them, the best way to deal with them is to use a freezing spell, so you can get away."

"Very good, Mr. Snape, fifteen points for Slytherin." Schlange said.

Sirius leaned and whispered, "Cornish pixies? They're like eight inches tall. How difficult can they be?"

James laughed. "I know. This class is rubbish."

"What about you, Mr. Potter, is it?" The Professor's voice got louder as she neared him and Sirius. "Can you tell the class the proper incantation for a freezing spell?"

He looked at Sirius, who shrugged. "No Professor."

She was in front of their desk now. "And what about you, Mr. Black, who unlike your younger brother wasn't so fortunate to be sorted into my house? Can you answer my question?" He shook his head. "Well, since you think this class is so rubbish, maybe you can tell me the difference between a grindylow or a hinkypunk? Or the purpose of a banishing charm?" She looked between them. "Either one of you? No? Very well then, Mr. Potter, at the front of the class."

Sirius gave him a sympathetic look as James slowly slid out of his seat and joined the Professor at the front of the class. "Mr. Snape, if you would be so willing to join us." At her call, Severus also walked to the front of the class, standing opposite of James. Professor Schlange crossed her arms. "Bow to each other and then wands at the ready." James bowed, followed by Severus.

James could feel the entire class's eyes on him. She circled them. She stopped behind Severus and whispered something. " _Flipendo_!" Severus shouted and James fell back.

"Very well, Mr. Snape." She continued to circle. "Mr. Potter, can you tell the class what is the most effective first move in any duel?"

James shook his head. "No, Professor."

She walked behind Severus and whispered something again. Severus pointed his wand and yelled, " _Expelliarmus_!" James fell again, his wand flying out of his hand and into Severus's. James felt as if the wind was continually being knocked out of him. Severus walked and stood over him with a huge smirk on his face. "The most effective first move in any duel is to disarm your opponent with a disarming spell." He handed James his wand back and they sat down.

"Very good, Mr. Snape. Thirty points for Slytherin, and because of disrespect, fifty points from Gryffindor."

"But… But Professor Schlange," Frank Longbottom stuttered. "This doesn't seem fair… you're punishing the entire House because of two people." It was the first day of classes and they were already down fifty points.

"You think my actions are a little severe?" She turned. "Fifty more points from Gryffindor." All of the Gryffindors groaned and the Slytherins in the room snickered. "That will teach you to not talk out of turn, Mr. Longbottom. All of you Gryffindors, you brave Gryffindors, will learn that there are consequences for misbehavior in my class. I will not tolerate disrespect. Because of your misbehavior, I expect to see Mr. Potter and Mr. Black in detention this evening. I also expect the Gryffindors of this class to write a three-and-a-half-foot essay on Cornish Pixies and the effectiveness of the freezing spell before next lecture." She stared at James, and he felt his knees weakening. "Is that clear, Mr. Potter?"

"Crystal, Professor."

She broke eye contact and James let out a breath. "Class dismissed."

* * *

Severus caught up with Lily outside of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. He was on top of the world, clapping his hands together. "That was awesome!"

Lily put her book in her bag and adjusted it. "Don't you think it was a little cruel?"

"Cruel? Black and Potter finally got what they deserved… Especially that Potter. He always thinks he knows everything."

"Are you talking about that duel?" She stopped walking. "I'm happy that you won, Sev, but to be honest, Professor Schlange was giving you the answers the entire time. It was hardly a fair fight."

He shuffled his feet. "So you're taking Potter's side?"

"Side? This isn't about sides." She looked him in the eye. "Between the duel, the points, the detention, and the extra essay—Severus, don't you think it was a little unfair?"

Severus crossed his arms. "No, I don't. Defense Against the Dark Arts is a very important class, and I think it's about time you Gryffindors take it more seriously."

"You Gryffindors?" Her face fell. "Oh, I see we're back to that."

"Lily, I didn't mean anything by that."

A couple of Slytherins called Severus's name behind them. "I know," Lily told him. "I need to go. I have an essay to work on."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! Please review! Next chapter- Quidditch tryouts!**

 **P.S. I can finally receive PMs, so I can now thank you each for the reviews and answer questions about Heart of a Gryffindor! Thanks!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey! It's another chapter! Thank you to everyone who has been reading and favoriting this story!**

 **Remember: As much as I super enjoy seeing everyone favorite this story and put it on their alerts (you all are awesome), please please please review! I would love to hear from you!**

 **Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter**

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen: Tryouts**

The first weeks back at Hogwarts went by quickly, and everyone fell back into the swing of classes and homework. Lily Evans was excited about all the new things she was getting to learn this year, and she loved all her classes, except for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Every time Professor Schlange had a question and Lily knew the answer, which of course was very often, the Professor refused to call on her. Then, she got her essay about Cornish Pixies back and Professor Schlange had scribbled all over it.

"Tough break, Lils," Frank Longbottom said, looking over her shoulder at her essay at lunch. Everyone else had gotten good marks on their essay, including Black and Potter, who were the cause of everything.

Lily slammed the essay down. "I just don't understand. I read the chapter and researched Cornish Pixies in the library, so the content is good. I'm not a bad writer—I don't understand."

"Lily, relax," Millie said beside her. She tucked her own essay back into her bag. "It's just one bad essay. You have the rest of the year to write better ones and bring up your grade. We get the whole afternoon off and Quidditch tryouts are today!"

The last thing Lily wanted to think about was Quidditch. As she looked around the room, she saw many people dressed in their best outside wear and carrying broomsticks. Was everyone planning on trying out? Her friend, Severus, walked past the Gryffindor table, supporting a used broomstick on his shoulder. "Hey _Snivallus_ , thinking about trying out, are we?" Potter hollered from down the table. His new broomstick glistened from its spot next to him.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to them, Sev, I know you'll do great."

"What position are you trying out for, Severus?" Alice asked.

"Seeker. Avery and Malfoy said that I would make a good one," he answered.

Millie turned around. "Avery and Malfoy, isn't that-?"

Lily ignored her, hoping Severus wouldn't understand what she was getting at. "I'm sure that they're right. You'll make a great Seeker. Good luck."

* * *

Even though they had the entire afternoon off and could do whatever they wanted, it seemed that everyone was at the Quidditch tryouts. Some bystanders even waved banners with their classmates' name on them, cheering loudly as they made their way onto the Quidditch pitch.

Lily rolled her eyes. It wasn't that she hated Quidditch, she rather enjoyed the sport, but there were many other things she would rather be doing with her afternoon off, and she couldn't get her mind off of her poorly graded essay.

Remus Lupin sat down next to her and she smiled at him. "The Marauders couldn't get you to try out also?" She had seen the other three of his friends leaving with the rest of those trying out earlier.

He laughed. "They tried, but I only fly when I can help it."

As he turned his head to watch the tryouts, Lily noticed a few scratches on his cheek. There was a thin pink scab just below his left ear. Lily remembered that he had been late to all of his morning classes this week, and a small voice told her that this could be the reason. She reached and touched the scar without thinking. "Are you okay, Remus?"

He flinched at her touch. "Of course. I just got carried away with some homework." He shrugged. "It backfired."

She knew that he was lying. Those weren't the scars you get from a wrong spell or a cauldron blowing up. It looked like someone tried to attack his face. She didn't plague Remus for being the kind of person to get in a fight, but she knew that if he was around the Marauders, anything could happen. She let the subject drop, not wanting to bring him any more discomfort, and focused on the tryouts.

* * *

Ravenclaw was the first to tryout. James Potter stood huddled with the others, watching as streaks of blue flew around. He ignored the conversations going on around him, outlining strategies in his head. After Ravenclaw ended their run, and their team was chosen, Gryffindor was the next to go.

A short blonde seventh year stood in front of them, a wooden clipboard in his hand. "Alright Gryffindors, my name is Colin McCormick. I am the captain and seeker of our Quidditch team. Today, we are only looking for a beater, a chaser, and a keeper. We will try out for the keeper first, followed by beaters and chasers. Please wait for your name to be called." His blue eyes glimpsed over the clipboard. "Nicole Smith." There was a pause. No one stepped forward. "Smith? I haven't got all day!"

"I'm here! I'm here!" A girl rushed forward to the front of the group, lugging her broomstick, all the while trying to put on her gloves. She had shiny black hair that flowed down her back in a long braid. James recognized her from Potions, she sat right in front of him, though if he were truthful he didn't really pay all that much attention. She finished strapping on her gloves. "Sorry I'm late. Filtch chased me nearly around the whole castle, shouting at me to get to class, the brainless idiot." She rolled her eyes then mounted her broom, kicking off quickly and taking position in front of one of the hoops.

James had to hand it to her. She was pretty excellent, much better than any of the other second years who tried out for keeper. The faster and harder Wood and Alexandre, the other chasers, threw, the better and quicker it seemed she blocked.

Sirius and Peter, who were both trying out for beater went next. Sirius was the best, seeming to take his anger out on the bludgers. Peter was okay, not near as bad as the others, but he clearly wasn't what they were looking for.

Colin looked down at his clipboard. "James Potter."

Sirius and Peter clapped him on the back as he kicked off the ground. Several other hopeful chasers had gone before him, and though they weren't terrible, they weren't all that great. Colin instructed him to try to make as many goals as he could, while the other teammates guarded him. James grabbed the Quaffle and ducked, just barely missing a bludger flying past. He then threw the ball at one of the hoops, but to his horror it bounced off the bottom curve.

James cursed under his breath as Colin shouted, "Try again, Potter. This time, concentrate!" He only had to make three goals to beat the others.

He grabbed the Quaffle again, remembering all the times he played Quidditch with his dad as a kid. A bludger went flying past the keeper, and he took his shot while he was distracted. The stands clapped as the ball made it through the hoop. _One point_.

James took a deep breath and caught the Quaffle. He saw one of the beaters taking a swing at another ball, and James dove, tossing another ball into one of the hoops _. Two points_. All he needed was one more, and he would almost be guaranteed a spot on the team.

James had the Quaffle in his hands, flying around the others trying to figure out a way to get to the hoops, but the team kept pushing him out. A bludger screamed, smacking into his shoulder, and he stumbled, trying to stay on his broom. His shoulder was sore, but he tried not to think about it. Another bludger was hit and it soared towards him. He shifted his weight on the broom and flew down towards the ground. The ball looped around, following him. He could hear it behind him. It was gaining on him. Just before he crashed into the soft grass, James pulled up quickly. The ball landed with a thud as the audience laughed. James tossed the Quaffle into the hoop for the third time.

Colin blew a whistle as James dismounted and joined the others. Colin clapped. "Well done everyone. He looked over his clipboard again. "Congratulations to Nicole Smith, Sirius Black, and James Potter—our new chaser!"

Everyone cheered. Sirius slapped him on the back. "Well done, Potter!"

He chuckled. "Looks like we made the Quidditch team." James looked at Peter, who had an ashen look on his face. "I'm sorry Peter, we don't mean to be-"

Peter looked up. "No, I'm fine. It was a long shot anyways. Besides, Remus will have someone to sit with during the games."

Slytherin was the next to go. James chuckled to himself as he saw Severus with rest of them trying out for Seeker. His clothes barely fit, and he hardly knew how to use a broom. Sirius leaned over and whispered, "Five gnuts says he's the first to fall off his broom."

James sighed. "That's hardly a good bet. The entire arena knows that's probably going to happen."

The Slytherin captain released the snitch and they took off. The first one to catch it made the team. Severus Snape flew clumsily after the snitch, nearly falling off his broom. A red headed third year zoomed past him after the snitch when he lost his footing and fell.

Sirius looked at James. "Would've lost that bet."

Severus Snape kept flying with the others. Every few minutes, James could see a glint of gold and the players would take off after it. To his surprise, Severus went head to head with someone before finally gaining the lead, his arm outstretched for the snitch.

" _Confundus_ ," Sirius whispered. Severus almost had the snitch when he tumbled forward, landing on the fresh grass with a thud. He checked his hands, seeming confused when they weren't enclosed around a golden snitch.

The crowd laughed. "Watch this," James whispered, pulling his wand out of his boot. " _Diffendo_." On the Quidditch field, while bending over to retrieve his broom, Severus's pants tore at the seams with a loud _rip!_ , causing the entire audience to burst into laughter again.

Severus shielded himself, doubling over and running off the field.

* * *

They were still laughing as Lily ran from the stands, trying to find Severus. She first tried the Quidditch tents, but she had no luck. She checked the castle, heading towards the dungeons, when someone grabbed her and pulled her into one of the classrooms.

She would have jinxed them, if it wouldn't have been Severus, and if he didn't look horrid. His hair was matted to his neck, and his eyes were a bloodshot red. "Severus, I'm so sorry." She hugged him.

"I thought I had it—the snitch. I almost had it," he spoke against her hair. "And my pants…"

"I know," she soothed. "It's going to be okay."

They pulled apart, and Severus pulled out his wand. It was broken at the top. "My wand. I must have landed on it when I fell."

Lily pulled hers out and pointed it at him. " _Repairo_." His wand fixed with a snap. "And here," she said, pulling her orange scarf from under her robes. Her mother had made it for her when she turned seven, just two months before she found out she was a witch. The atrocious color was her mum's favorite, and though it clashed with her hair, it was her favorite scarf. "Tie this around your waist. Hufflepuff is not done with their tryouts yet, so the hallways should still be clear." He gave her a funny look, and she rolled her eyes. "Oh honestly. Would you rather it be red and gold?" He took it from her and tied it around his waist. She smiled. "There. That's not so bad."

"Thank you, Lily," he said quietly before leaving the classroom and heading deeper into the dungeons.

Lily left the classroom shortly after and headed to the Gryffindor common room. She gave the password to the Fat Lady, who opened cheerfully.

"Did you see him? Thinking he could play Quidditch! He can barely stay on his broom!" Millie was in the center of a group of girls, all of them giggling loudly. "And those polka dotted green underwear! It was like his grandma dresses him! Part of me wishes he would have made the team. That way Gryffindor could wipe the field with him!"

"Millie?" Lily spoke up. The girls quieted, and Millie gave them a look before they all headed off to the girl's dormitory. Millie and Lily were alone, except for a couple of fifth years playing Wizard's chess in the corner. "Is that what you think is fun now? Making fun of people? I thought we were all friends."

"Really? None of us are friends with Severus. We merely tolerate him because of you! The only person who is friends with him is you." Millie crossed her arms. "Which frankly, I don't understand. He's Slytherin, Lily."

"And I've told you he's nothing like them."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh come on! He was sorted into Slytherin for a reason. And he hangs out with that Malfoy boy—the one that called you a _mudblood._ "

"Like I've said before, I've known Severus for a long time. I can't just stop being friends with him because he was sorted into another house."

"Says the witch he didn't talk to for nearly a year because she was sorted into Gryffindor."

It took everything in Lily not to jinx her. Lily took a slow breath. "If you cannot seem to tolerate that Severus and I are friends, maybe it isn't a good idea that we are."

Millie didn't miss a beat. "Well okay then."

* * *

 **Oh Millie. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading! Please review! The more reviews I get, the more encouraged I will feel to upload the next chapter! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Yay! Another chapter! This chapter was a lot of fun to write. I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Please review, it warms this Potterhead's heart!:)**

 **Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Cunfunded

James awoke with an extra pep in his step. He had been waiting for this day for weeks, and it had finally arrived. He swaggered down to the Main Hall, where Sirius and Peter already sat eating breakfast.

"Hey guys," he said, scooting in across from them. He grabbed a cookie topped with butter and strawberry marmalade. "Where's Remus?"

"Haven't seen him all morning," said Sirius.

"I didn't see him last night when I came in from the library, and he wasn't in bed when I left this morning either," Peter added.

"That's weird."

Peter stood. "Well, I've got to go. McGonagall is making me meet with her before class. Good luck today."

After he left, James leaned across the table. "I swear if that bloke misses our first Quidditch match!"

"Remus has been strange lately. He has those marks on his face that he tries to hide, saying they are spells gone wrong. We're not the only ones who are noticing. And he's missing his morning classes," Sirius said, "And now, he's missing at night."

"It is strange," agreed James.

"You know, the best way to find out what someone is hiding is to follow them."

James smiled. "Black, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

His grin was bigger than James's. "I think it's time to get out your dad's old invisibility cloak again."

* * *

"It would have been fine if Severus wanted to sit with us," Frank said, finding them a seat among the masses of students ready for the big match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. "We wouldn't have minded." After her fight with Millie, Lily was scared that Alice and Frank felt the same way about Severus and would quit being her friends because of it. However, they remained at her side, assuring her that though they had trouble understanding her friendship with Severus, they loved her and trusted her judgement.

"Thanks you two," Lily said with a friendly laugh. "But I think he would rather sit with his other friends today."

It was the first Quidditch match of the year. Everyone was dressed in silver or scarlet, and some carried big banners with player's names painted on them. A group of seventh year boys stood in front with _GO GRYFFINDOR_ painted on their chests in gold letters. Even Lily herself got in on the spirit and painted a sparkly lion on her right cheek and clutched a small red flag.

Remus slid in next to her just as the Slytherin players flew out onto the field. "There you are! You've been missing the last few days! I thought you were going to miss this!"

"Potter would kill me if I missed his first match!" Remus said as the Gryffindor players flew out onto the field. Everyone stood up to cheer, and the noise was deafening. "I looked for Peter but couldn't find him!"

Professor Prince spoke to the players on the field. He blew his whistle and threw the quaffle in the air. The chasers scattered. Gryffindor had the ball, tossing it back and forth. Wood, a Gryffindor chaser, dropped the ball and it was intercepted by the Slytherin captain, who tried to score, but he was blocked by Nicole Smith. Gryffindor cheered.

One of the Gryffindor beaters hit a bludger at the Slytherin Seeker, who nearly fell off his broom. Lily's heart ached, remembering how excited Severus was to try out. Deep down she knew that he could have made the team if he didn't fall off his broom. "Severus would have made a much better Seeker."

"I overheard someone saying that he was cunfunded," whispered Alice.

"What?!"

Slytherin scored. "I don't remember who I heard it from," she said.

Lily would bet a swim with the Giant Squid who jinxed Severus. She looked at Remus. "You're awfully quiet." He didn't say anything, but instead looked away. "Oi Remus!"

He broke. "I'm so sorry Lily. It was Sirius and James. They jinxed him to fall off his broom."

"And the pants thing?"

He hung his head. "That was James."

Lily's blood was boiling. Cunfunding Severus was mean, but causing him to tear his trousers in front of nearly the entire school was just cruel. She felt like she was going to rip someone's head off. A certain young chaser's would do the trick. "He's nothing but a bully," she huffed. "Remus, I don't know why you're friends with him!"

On the field, Gryffindor was ahead, but Slytherin was gaining. Nicole Smith was a good Keeper, but she was getting tired. Slytherin scored again and the crowd cheered. The Gryffindor chasers ran a play where they distracted the bludgers. They passed the quaffle to James Potter, who went for the goal. Lily pulled out her wand just as he was about to throw it. " _Cunfundus_ ," she said softly. James stumbled and the keeper blocked him. The quaffle was now in the possession of the Slytherin team, who scored.

The game went on. Every time James was near the goal, Lily cunfunded him. "Lily! What are you doing?" exclaimed Frank. "You're going to make us lose!"

"I'm giving James a taste of his own medicine. He thinks he can bully people and get away with it, I don't think so! _Cunfundus._ " James dropped the ball. Another Slytherin point. "And we're not going to lose. As long as Gryffindor catches the snitch, and our seeker is much better than theirs."

And they did. McCormick caught the snitch just as Slytherin tried to score again. "ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR! GRYFFINDOR WINS!" the commentator called and everyone stood up and cheered. People carried the Gryffindor players off the field, heading to the Gryffindor common room to celebrate.

* * *

James didn't arrive back at his room until after dinner. The party was still in full swing, but he had other things on his mind. Not only was one of his best mates acting strange lately, but he felt like he let the entire Quidditch team down. No one said anything about it, but he saw the looks. He didn't know what happened. He was always good at Quidditch, but it was like every time he had the Quaffle in his hands, something would happen.

Remus entered the room and the three of them looked up at him. "There you are!" Sirius said. "Where have you been?"

Remus looked at James. "Good game, mate. Go Gryffindor!"

"Did you see the game?" said James. "I was awful. It was like I got confused."

"Or jinxed," added Peter.

It was like a light went off. "I was cunfunded! Why didn't I realize? It makes so much sense!" He got off his bed and began to pace the room. "I wonder who it was. I bet it was _Snivallus_ , trying to get back at me for some reason."

Remus went quiet, gathering his books in his bag. Sirius stood with James. "Remus, do you know something?"

"Well…"

"Remus! Tell us!"

"Oh alright, it was Lily Evans," said Remus. "I sort of told her that you jinxed Snape at tryouts, and she decided to get back at you. I thought it would make you two even."

James's heart began to race. He knew that she was friends with Severus, but he never thought she would sacrifice the Gryffindor Quidditch team a win, even if it was for Snivallus. While James planning ways to get her back, Remus headed for the door. "Don't do anything stupid, James. Well, I'm going to the library."

After he was gone, James's head was still rolling. He barely heard Sirius yelling his name. "Potter! Potter! JAMES!"

He snapped out of it. "What?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and grabbed James's indivisibility cloak. "Remus! He said he was going to the library, but the bloke didn't bring his books."

James understood. If Remus didn't bring his books to go to the library, he wasn't really going to the library, and if he wasn't going there, where was he going? Sirius, James, and Peter got under the cloak. They saw Remus going through the entrance to the Gryffindor common room and followed him. Instead of taking the stairs up to go to the library, however, Remus went down the stairs. _Where is he going_? James wondered.

As Remus made his way to the courtyard, James heard a girl laugh and stopped and turned, throwing the cloak off of them and marching towards her. "EVANS!"

Lily's brow furrowed, like she was wondering where James had come from. "Can I help you with something, Potter?"

"You know what you did."

She took a step towards him so that they were standing opposite one another in the center of the courtyard. "And you know why I did it. Severus was excited about Quidditch tryouts and you ruined his chances of ever making the team."

"Oh come on, Evans! You and I both know Snape didn't have a chance at making the team!" James rolled his eyes. "I was merely helping him."

"By confunding him?" She crossed her arms, taking another step towards him. "And the pants thing… not only was it enough for you to ruin his chances of making Seeker, but you had to embarrass him in front of the entire school! Is that really what excites you, Potter? Bullying people?"

James noticed her cheeks flushed the more they argued. He also noticed the way her green eyes seemed to sparkle under the moonlight. This caused him to smile, laugh a little. "Yeah, I do."

She threw up her hands. "You're such an annoying toerag!"

She started to walk off, but James yelled, "Maybe next time I'll finish ole' Snivallus off!" Lily stopped and reached for her wand. James laughed. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Lily Evans. We both know you wouldn't want to mess up your all too perfect record."

She huffed before storming off. James stared after her as she went inside the castle and made her way upstairs. "JAMES!" Sirius yelled, bringing him back to attention. "If you're done daydreaming about Evans over there, Remus is getting away!"

They got back under the cloak and crossed the courtyard. "I think I saw him head towards the forest," Peter said, and they started that way. Once they got to the edge, they threw the cloak off and lit their wands. "What is he doing out here anyway?" said Peter, "It's forbidden."

"He's a Marauder, remember?" Sirius answered. "And he's hiding something."

A bird flew overhead. James looked at his best mate. "And what did you mean back there, 'daydreaming about Evans?'"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "You know exactly what I mean. It's obvious."

"Obvious?"

There was a rustling behind them and they all turned. "What… what is that?" Peter stuttered.

"It was nothing," said Sirius. "Let's keep moving."

Something snapped, and they looked behind them again. There was a low whistling noise. "There's something following us," James whispered. They huddled close together, their wands at the ready. A bush rustled and shook. James took a step towards it, his wand out as he peered in. Suddenly, two big yellow eyes opened and stared at him.

He flew back, sending the three of them crashing to the ground. They scrambled to their feet, trying to get away. A large creature pounced above them and landed, blocking their escape.

It was huge, with tuffs of grey hair against its stretched out skin. Its sharp teeth glared at them as drool dripped down its chin. They turned trying to run away again, but it cut them off and moved closer to them.

There was nowhere to go. The werewolf growled and the boys screamed.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!**

 **P.S. I started a blog where I review books (mostly young adult), check it out if you're interested! .**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen: The Boy Who Cried Werewolf**

The boys screamed as the werewolf took another step towards them. Through the commotion, James had dropped his wand. He retrieved it clumsily. The werewolf continued to walk towards them, its teeth glaring.

" _Incendio_!" James screamed, hoping for an escape. The flames hit the werewolf just above his shoulder. The beast stumbled before howling loudly and running off.

The boys ran. They ran as fast as they could, as fast as their legs would take them. They did not stop until they were inside the castle and taking the stairs. Before he realized what he was doing, James was banging loudly on a wooden door in a dimly lit corridor.

A light flickered on before the door opened. Professor McGonagall appeared, wrapping her green night robe tighter around her waist. A bewildered expression mapped her face at the sight of the boys. "Do you have any idea how late it is?" She looked between them. "Is something the matter?"

"Professor," said James breathlessly, "we were out in the forest-"

"The Forrest?" She hardened. "The one that's forbidden-"

"We know why now," added Sirius. He was just as wheezy from running as James was. "We saw…a…a…"

"Well on with it, Mr. Black, we haven't got all night."

"A werewolf," James finished for him. "We saw a werewolf, Professor!"

There was a slight pause before Minerva McGonagall's face turned angrier. "A werewolf? You come to my door at this hour to tell me this nonsense? Ten points from Gryffindor!"

"But Professor-" Peter cried, "we really did see one!"

Sirius nodded, braver now. "Yeah, we did!"

"Another ten points, and maybe we should talk about detention too?" She crossed her arms. "You do not know how many school rules you have broken to be in the Forbidden Forrest and out past curfew, and now you knock on my door when I have an early class in the morning."

"But Professor, just listen-" James tried.

She wasn't having it. "You're lucky I'm not expelling you. Return to your dormitories, Mr. Potter, before I am forced to take away more points from my own House."

James took a step and looked at Sirius and Peter. "Come on, let's go."

They nodded, heading back down the corridor.

* * *

Professor Schlange walked in between the tables the next day. She stopped in front of Lily and handed her her parchment. "These are your previous essays over freezing spells. Remember that I expect three feet over the effectiveness on using the _riddikulus_ charm on boggorts this Thursday."

Lily looked down at her essay. Like the essays before it, her essay was covered in red marks and Schlange's handwriting. After she dismissed the class, Lily gathered her things and stopped in front of her desk. "Professor Schlange, may I speak to you for a moment?"

The professor looked up from the book she was reading. "What is it, Miss Evans?"

Lily placed the essay in front of her. "This is the fourth essay I've written that has gotten bad marks-"

"Are you asking me to go a little easier with my grading system?"

"No… of course not." She took a breath, trying to calm her nerves. "It's just that I spent many nights in the library researching and I consulted many books. . . I rewrote this essay three times."

"Do you think it matters to me how many times you rewrote it? Or how many books you used? If you want a good grade, you're going to have to do the work." She stood and Lily took a step back. "Miss Evans, don't be discouraged. You'll get there. You haven't been exposed to spells and things like the others have." She handed her essay back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another class to prepare for."

Lily slipped her essay in her bag and angrily left the classroom. She had spent so much time on her essay hoping to get a good grade only for it to come back with bad marks all over it. And for Professor Schlange to say it was because she was Muggle born? She was doing very well in all her other classes, and she had no problems with Defense Against the Dark Arts last year, why was she struggling this year?

Severus was waiting for her outside the classroom. "Is everything alright, Lily?"

"It's nothing," she said as she continued walking.

Severus grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Lily, what is it?" When she didn't say anything, he spoke. "Is this about your grade in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Something is wrong, Severus." She adjusted the strap of her bookbag on her shoulder. "I think she's grading me unfairly because I am muggle-born."

"Are you serious?" His eyes widened. "You honestly believe that, don't you?"

"Well, what else could it be?"

He paused and ran a willowy hand through his hair before he spoke. "You didn't grow up in a wizarding family-"

"And that doesn't make me any less capable of being a good witch!" She fumed. Honestly, her best friend couldn't possibly believe that just because she didn't grow up knowing about Hogwarts or wizards, she didn't have the ability to do the proper spells to defend herself. She was the first of their class last year, and well on her way this year.

"Lily," said Severus, "You know that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I meant that there has to be some other explanation of why you are getting a lower score on your DADA papers."

She shifted her bookbag on her shoulder. "Whatever the reason, I will find out."

* * *

"Remus! There you are!" James hollered as a very flustered Remus ran up to meet them. "Where have you been all day? We've been looking for you."

"I was studying until late last night in the library and this morning Professor Dumbledore wanted to speak with me," he told them.

"And he made you miss class?" Peter asked. They didn't know Dumbledore that well, but surely any great headmaster wouldn't want his students to be out of class.

"It was important."

"Well," exclaimed Sirius, "have we got a story for you! You wouldn't believe what we saw in the Enchanted Forest last night!"

Remus perked up. "Enchanted Forrest?" He paused. "But the Enchanted Forrest is forbidden."

"We know, and now we know why they want us to stay away," said Peter.

James spoke up. "There are creatures in the Forrest. Dark creatures."

"Dark creatures like werewolves," said Sirius.

Remus coughed. "Werewolves?"

Sirius continued, "We saw one last night. We thought it was nearly going to kill us."

Remus stepped away, adjusting his book bag so that it was higher on his shoulder. "I think I have to go."

"But Remus," said Peter, "Our next class is going to start soon."

He kept walking backwards. "I know. I'm not feeling well. I'll catch up with you later." He turned on his heels and jogged quickly away from them.

Sirius looked at James and then Peter. "That's not suspicious at all."

James agreed. He didn't know what was going on with his best friend, but he was determined to find out.

 **There you go! Hope you enjoyed it! Please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey everyone! Okay, so I've had a super stressful semester, and I lost most of the plans for upcoming chapters (that's why I haven't been uploading as frequently), but I'm going to start uploading more! I've replanned out everything and I'm super excited about what's to come! Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter**.

* * *

 **Chapter 17: The Thing Hagrid Said**

 _Our Dearest Lily,_

 _We cannot begin to tell you how happy we are that it is only two weeks away from your holiday. We've missed you terribly and we are excited for you to come home!_

 _We are writing you this letter to tell you that Petunia has decided to invite a friend to stay with us for the holiday. We know you will do nothing of the sort, but Petunia wanted us to remind you how important it is to not act too weird around the house. Joy does not know about your condition and we think it is best to keep it that way._

 _Cannot wait to see you._

 _Love, Mom and Dad_

Lilly closed the letter and slipped it in her backpack. Never in her life had she felt like such an outsider from her own family. She knew Petunia did not except her for who she was, but now she doubted if even her parents did.

"Lily, is everything okay?" Alice asked, looking down at the letter.

She nodded. "I'm fine."

Frank and Alice shared a look like they didn't believe her. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I'm just worried about getting all the assignments done before Christmas Break."

"Tell me about it," said Frank, "It's like all the professors had a secret meeting and decided to make everything due on the same day!"

* * *

Everyone at Hogwarts was under the same pressure to get everything completed before the holiday, including the Marauders, but James felt it hard to focus. It had been weeks since they seen the werewolf in the wood, and no one believed them, especially Remus who kept swearing they probably saw a stag or a really big dog.

"But it couldn't of been a dog or even a stag," argued Sirius, and James was very thankful his best bate had his back, "It was a werewolf. It looked just like the pictures."

"If you would have been there, Remus, you would agree with us. There is something in that woods."

"Professor McGonagall didn't believe you," Remus pointed out.

"What does McGonagall know?" James threw up his hands.

"I wouldn't be doubting McGonagall's skillset," said Sirius quietly.

"What I mean is," James corrected himself, "What would McGonagall know because she hardly goes out to the woods. We need to be talking to someone who knows the Forbidden Forrest better than anyone else and all the creatures in it." James's voice got louder and louder as he became more sure of himself. "I think we need to talk to the Keeper of the Keys!"

"Hagrid?" Sirius raised one of his eyebrows as the others laughed, "You want to talk to Hagrid?"

"Of course. He knows the forest best."

Sirius shook his head. "I'm going to have to say no, mate."

"Why not?"

"He gives me the creeps."

James rolled his eyes. "Oi! Don't you understand? Hagrid can tell us if there is something in that woods or not."

"And what makes you think that he is going to tell us if there is?" Remus asked.

"It's worth a shot."

"Fine," growled Sirius, "But at the slightest sign of danger, I'm leaving."

"I thought you were a Gryffindor?"

"Like I said, he gives me the creeps."

James turned to Remus. "Are you in?'

He sighed. "Fine, but don't get upset when you don't find what you're looking for."

* * *

The Marauders waited until way past nightfall before they grabbed James's invisibility cloak to go to the Forbidden Forrest. They walked carefully past the Gryffindor common room and the Fat Lady without a trace. They made their way past every corridor without anyone noticing.

"Ow!" Peter screamed. "Sirius, you stepped on my foot!"

"I did not, you stupid bloke. My foot is nowhere near yours!"

"Then whose was it-"

"Ssh!" James pulled them back at the sight of Professor Schlange in the hallway. He motioned for them to stop and listen.

"What is she doing?" Remus whispered. "Tonight is Flitwick's night to do rounds."

"Professor!" Regulas Black came into view.

James turned to look at his friend. "Sirius, is that-"

"Ssh! Listen!"

Professor Schlange paced. "Thank you for meeting me, Mr. Black. I'm sure you're first term here at Hogwarts has been well."

"It has." Regulas's eyes followed her. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you want to see me?"

She smiled. "You come from a lineage of Slytherin witches and wizards who appreciate everything Slytherin stands for-"

"Mostly. My brother-"

"Don't mind your brother. You are a smart boy, who hears things. You must know what I wanted to speak to you about."

"We need to go," Sirius said quietly.

"But Sirius," said Peter, "Don't you want to know-"

"We need to go."

James nodded. "We need to get to Hagrid's."

They set out again for Hagrid's hut, leaving Professor Schlange and Sirius's brother behind. They banged on the door of his hut. Hagrid stepped out, his face slightly flushed.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black… Mr. Pettigrew and Mr. Lupin, what are yu' doin' her' ?" He looked between them and then at the sky. "It's almost past curfew. Y' must be goin'."

"We need to ask you about the forest," said James.

"The forest? What 'bout it?"

"We wanted to know if you've seen anything weird in the forest," Peter said.

"Weird? Describe weird. There are lot of 'trange 'ings in the 'orest."

"Strange? Like werewolves?" asked James.

Hagrid's smile faded as he ushered them into his hut and slammed the door. "Why are you asking about werewolves?"

"We saw one," explained Sirius. "We saw one in the forest."

"I haven't seen one." Hagrid laughed. "The only 'ay there is a werewolf 'n the 'orest is if it's coming from the castle."

"You think that the werewolf is a student?" Peter asked.

"That's rubbish!" said Remus. "I told you there is not a werewolf in the forest."

James looked at Hagrid. "Hagrid?"

He raked a hand through his hair. "I think I've said too much."

* * *

 **Not my best chapter (like I said, I sort of lost all my plans) but thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!**


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